tosspot

tosspot

See also: toss-pot

English

Alternative forms

• toss-pot

Etymology

From toss +‎ pot.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtɒspɒt/

Noun

tosspot (plural tosspots)

1. (colloquial, now rare) A drunkard, one who drinks alcohol frequently.
   • 1593, Harvey, Gabriel, Pierce's Supererogation; or, A New Praise of the Old Ass‎, published 1815, page 140–141:

     The Muses shame to remember some fresh quaffers of Helicon; and which of the Graces or Virtues blusheth not to name some lusty tosspots of rhetoric?

   • 1603, John Florio, transl.; Michel de Montaigne, chapter 2, in The Essayes, […], book II, printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:

     We see our carowsing tospot German souldiers, when they are most plunged in their cups and as drunke as rats, to have perfect remembrance of their quarter, of the watchword, and of their files.

2. (Britain, slang) A fool, prat; an idiot.
   • 2000, Darren Tackle, The Guardian, 13 June:

     Well, that's one in the eye for the nay-sayers, the doubters, the cynics and assorted tosspots what make up the media and that.

Synonyms

• reel-pot, squeeze-grape; see also Thesaurus:drunkard