subs. (American).—A rough; a bully.
1890. R. H. DAVIS, My Disreputable Friend, Mr. Raegen, in Scribner’s Magazine, viii. Dec., 692. And then the whole appearance of the young TOUGH changed, and the terror and horror that had showed on his face turned to one of low sharpness and evil cunning.
c. 1889. Daily Telegraph [A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant]. The TOUGH, his northern appellation changed to “hoodlum,” continues to flourish in San Francisco.
Adj. (colloquial).—Generic for difficult, trying, severe: e.g., a TOUGH (= incredible) YARN: ‘a long story’ (GROSE); a TOUGH (= difficult) JOB; a TOUGH (= severe) REBUKE; a TOUGH (= violent) STORM; a TOUGH (= prolonged) SIEGE; a TOUGH (= stubborn) CUSTOMER: a hard nut to crack. Also TO MAKE IT TOUGH = (1) to raise difficulties, to make much of a small matter, and (2) to take excessive pains; AS TOUGH AS WHITLEATHER (RAY) = as tough as may be.
[?]. A Tale of King Edward and the Shepherd, MS. Cantab., Ff. v. 48, f. 53.
| To day thou gate no moné of me, | |
| Made thou it never so TOWȜ. |
[?]. Releg. Cent. ii. 29.
| Befe and moton wylle serve wele enow; | |
| And for to seche so ferre a lytill bakon flyk, | |
| Which hath long hanggid, resty and TOW. |
1383. CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales, ‘The Prioresses Tale’ [TYRWHITT], 13,309. And up he goth and maketh it ful TOUGH. Ibid., Troilus and Criseyde, v. 101. If that I … make it to TOUGH. Ibid., Booke of Dutchess, 531. And made it neyther TOUGH ne queint.
c. 1640. HOWELL, Familiar Letters, I. iv. 15. [Breda] has yielded … to Spinola’s Hands, after a TOUGH Siege of thirteen months.
1781. COWPER, Table Talk, 458.
| Callous and TOUGH, | |
| The reprobated race grows judgment proof. |
1817. SCOTT, Rob Roy, xiv. I found Mr. Macready … a TOUGH, sagacious, long-headed Scotchman.
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, ‘The Auto-da-fé,’ II. 69. ‘My Lord,’ said the King, ‘here’s a rather TOUGH job.’
See OLD TOUGHS.
