touser

Noun

touser (plural tousers)

1. One who or that which touses.
2. (Cornwall, Devon, dialectal) A large coarse apron.
   • He [a correspondent] continues:—‘[‘]If you were in Buryan Church-town this evening, you might probably hear Betty Trenoweth say, ‘I ’ll take off my touser, [toute serve,] and run up to Janey Angwins to cousey [causer] a spell; there ’s a lot of boys gone in there, so there ’ll be a grand courant...1865, Robert Hunt, “Peculiar Words and Phrases”, in Popular Romances of the West of England; or, The Drolls, Traditions, and Superstitions of Old Cornwall, 2nd series, London: John Camden Hotten...
   • Leah is comely in the sunshine, Madelon thinks, with her freshly-colored, strongly-marked old Cornish face, framed by black hair just flecked with white, under the broad hat such as the fishwives wear; and the white touser, or quaint apron, gives a natty look to the shortgown.1877 January, Marian C[alhoun] L[égaré] Reeves, Emily Read, “Old Martin Boscawen’s Jest”, in Arthur’s Illustrated Home Magazine, volume XLV, number 1, Philadelphia, Pa.: T[imothy] S[hay] Arthur &...