Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1730, 1814-1824, 1900-1950
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TOSS, v.1, n.1 Sc. usages:
I. v. In deriv., comb. and phr.: (1) tosser, a coin used in the game of pitch-and-toss (Gsw. 1934 E. Partridge Dict. Slang); (2) toss-my-luck, the game of pitch-and-toss; (3) to toss (someone), to toss a coin with (someone) (ne.Sc., Ags., Per. 1972). Also in n.Eng. dial.(2) Ayr. 1824 Galt Rothelan II. 8:
The slouched and the slovenly wrangled at skittles and toss-my-luck.(3) Abd. 1900 Abd. Wkly. Free Press (18 Aug.):
Come awa' in an' I'll toss ye wha stands the next.ne.Sc. 1950:
Aa richt, I'll toss ye for't.
†II. n. 1. A bout, an encounter, a tussle.Sc. 1730 T. Boston Memoirs (1899) 316:
I had a toss with Mr. Murray, he affirming and I denying.
2. An energetic dance, a reel.Abd. 1814 P. Buchan Recreation 69:
They reel'd, an' set, syne hands across, Pousette, and alamande, Some new-invented country toss.
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"Toss v.1, n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/toss_v1_n1>
