'Totty' - what a grim word

[kahunabean]

From where did the word 'totty' come ? I first heard it on the infamous Tim Nice-but-dim sketch with Martin Clunes as a rugger b/u/g/g/e/r, but I dare say it was around before then. Its a really ugly word. Simultaneously wussy and prissy and posh sounding.

[strozzi]

Totty or Tottie is a word of Scottish origin meaning very small or tiny. In the mid 1800s it was used in London to denote a prostitute. It was later used to describe female groupies.The up-to-date usage is to describe an attractive female or "tidy boiler". How the word made it's transition from one meaning to the next perhaps only the genius of Mr. Quizmonster will be able to tell us.

[Quizmonster]

A dictionary of slang, published in the 1890s, contains the first reference in print to 'totty', meaning a girl - particularly a 'fast' (ie rather naughty) one.

The Icelandic word 'tottr' is a name given to dwarfs and, in Danish, 'Tommel-tot' is their equivalent of 'Tom Thumb'. Either of these might have led - via Norse/Viking word-invasion - to our use of 'tot' to mean a very small child, though there is no certain connection. 'Totty' is just a diminutive of 'tot'. (Sorry, Strozzi, I can't find any reference to a Scottish source.)

In much the same way, men often refer to their girl-friends as 'baby' and 'doll', both of which - like 'tot/ty' - suggest something small, childlike, cuddly and playful - all qualities, which, no doubt, they find desirable in a woman! All-in-all, though, I don't think 'totty' is that offensive. There are certainly vastly more offensive alternatives.

[strozzi]

Quizmonster I guess that you will be interested in this from Collins English Dictionary. Working backwards Tottie or Totty (Scot) from Tot (small child) (Brit C18) from Totterer (unsteady) (C12) from Tealtrian (OE) & Touteren (stagger) (Mid Dutch). Now I'm going to totter off and do some work !

[kahunabean]

Quizmonster I bow to your unhealthily comprehensive and detailed knowledge.... but I didn't mean "totty" was offensive to women - I personally find it a rubbish word. Like bonk is smugly euphemistic... ya know ?

[Quizmonster]

Strozzi - Thank you for the information on the Scottish side of things. I suspect it's mainly Southern/Central Scottish, as I never heard it used thus in my many years in the far North of that fair land.

Kahunabean - I obviously misinterpreted your use of 'grim'...in its senses of ghastly, repellent and unappealing...to describe the word under discussion. Actually, I'm rather fond of it myself...the word, you understand! Language is endlessly fascinating, so delving into its depths seems very 'healthy' to me.