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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

TOE, n. The mark at which a curler aims his stones, the Tee. More freq. in comb. toesee, tosie, tozee [ < toe's ee. Cf. Gog, gogsee, and Ee, n.], id. (Lth. 1825 Jam.) [to′zi]; the tee in golf (Abd. (coast) 1949) [′tʌuzi].Rnf. 1784 J. Cairnie Curling (1833) 133:
The first stane played, for the tozee, Did gain it to a hair.
Lnk. c.1785 J. Kerr Curling (1890) 131:
Making the wood with pricks for marking the toesee and circles on the ice.
Sc. 1833 J. Cairnie Curling 30:
The outermost of these circles should be at least 3 feet from the centre of the tozee.
Lnk. 1864 J. Greenshields Lesmahagow 211:
In some parts of Scotland it is called the “toe” or “toesee”.

[Orig. obscure. Poss. connected with taw, the line from which one shoots a marble.]

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