Sunday Word: Tout (belated)
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1word1daytout [ˈtau̇t]:
origin: [1400] Old English; tōtian= "to peer" or look out.
noun or verb
1. A type of forceful and persistent sales technique. Have you ever gone on vacation (or perhaps just roamed your local tourist trap) only for a native to run up and desperately try to sell products that you never asked for? Perhaps with dubious lines such as, "For you! Because I like your face, only $30!"
They may also attempt to solicit specific tourist destinations: perhaps a rickshaw ride you hadn't requested, a tarot card reading, or a bed & breakfast nook run by their grandmother. Touts may be elderly, healthy, poor, or children; they can look like anything, but they all want one thing -- your money!
2. Tout can also be used specifically in gambling, for a person who offers "tips" on (horse) races...in exchange for a share of said winnings. Of course! Again, the verb-form, one may also tout about by spying on stables in order to get those tips.
3. In England, or where British slang may prevail, a tout is what is also known as a "ticket scalper".
4. To herald or support something with an air of expertise, as in, "Many compliment Paris runways for decadence and style, but Brian, ever a devotee to Vogue magazine and sales racks alike, touted the street-smart fashions of New York City as another important influence in the world of fashion."
origin: [1400] Old English; tōtian= "to peer" or look out.
noun or verb
1. A type of forceful and persistent sales technique. Have you ever gone on vacation (or perhaps just roamed your local tourist trap) only for a native to run up and desperately try to sell products that you never asked for? Perhaps with dubious lines such as, "For you! Because I like your face, only $30!"
They may also attempt to solicit specific tourist destinations: perhaps a rickshaw ride you hadn't requested, a tarot card reading, or a bed & breakfast nook run by their grandmother. Touts may be elderly, healthy, poor, or children; they can look like anything, but they all want one thing -- your money!
2. Tout can also be used specifically in gambling, for a person who offers "tips" on (horse) races...in exchange for a share of said winnings. Of course! Again, the verb-form, one may also tout about by spying on stables in order to get those tips.
3. In England, or where British slang may prevail, a tout is what is also known as a "ticket scalper".
4. To herald or support something with an air of expertise, as in, "Many compliment Paris runways for decadence and style, but Brian, ever a devotee to Vogue magazine and sales racks alike, touted the street-smart fashions of New York City as another important influence in the world of fashion."
