Tommy en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈtɒmi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈtɑmi/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Aramaic תאמא Aramaic תאומאbor. Ancient Greek Θωμᾶς (Thōmâs)bor. Latin Thōmāsbor. Middle English Thomas Middle English Thomme English Tom Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij- Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English Tommy From Tom + -y.
Meanings
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(abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, ellipsis) Ellipsis of Tommy Atkins, a typical private in the British army; a British soldier.
alt of Tommy Atkins
He liked the Germans better than he did the French; but for all that, if he went down the back streets of a night, it was with three or four British Tommies, in case the Jerries weren't as friendly as they made out.
1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York, published 2007, page 129:And every night now he played pontoon, that game of the Tommies, with Mrs Bolton, gambling with sixpences.
1928, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter XV, in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, [Germany?]: Privately printed, →OCLC:Meanwhile the Tommies had discovered several large tins of ham in the captured lorry. 'That,' said the big Nazi, 'is for our tea.' 'No,' said a Tommy sergeant-major. 'That's for our tea. For you, chummy, we've kept a nice bit of bull.'
1949, Stephen Peter Llewellyn, Journey Towards Christmas, page 142:Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?" But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll
1892, Rudyard Kipling, Tommy:
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(broadly, colloquial) Ellipsis of Tommy Atkins, a typical private in the British army; a British soldier. ▸ Any common soldier; a member of the rank and file.
May was in New Zealand when war broke out, and immediately left for France, where she worked in a military hospital in a converted high school in Marseilles. Writing home, she said that the French officers were said to be 'fussy' so she was glad to be nursing the Tommies (meaning French rank and file): 'they are brave and good, and patient, and such grateful patients. They are helpful to each other, and take such an interest in their fellow sufferers.'
2017, Janet Tolerton, Make Her Praises Heard Afar: New Zealand Women Overseas in World War One, →ISBN, page 38:
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(obsolete, rare) A lesbian.
Here, here, here again! Coquettes, flirts, harlots, adultereſſes, tulips, pinks, roſes, lilies, violets, wormwood, fennel, and hemlock! Unnatural, unnatural, unnatural! Tommies, Tommies, Tommies! Women kiſſing women; doating, languiſhing, dying, pining, crying, caterwauling, for each other! Ha, ha, ha! O the madneſs of this age!
1777, [Anon.], “Number XVII. A faſhionable, diſgraceful Paſſion expoſed.”, in The Laughing Philosopher, Dublin: Printed for James Williams, →OCLC, page 91:
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(abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of tommy boy.
alt of tommy boy
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penis
Resolutely I refrained from thrusting or withdrawing for a minute or two and then drew out slowly to her lips and as I pushed Tommy gently in again, she leaned up and kissed me passionately.
1922, Frank Harris, “X”, in My Life and Loves:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommies | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Tommy Atkins (British soldier)