Tabbie (n.): elderly person; old woman. ‘TABBIE elderly person’ (Spiegl 1989: 73). ‘Tabbies Pensioners’ (Spiegl 2000b: 63). Recorded from 18c.; the dimunitive form of ‘Tabitha’.

Take a powder (v.): to leave, escape. ‘“They're goin ter hang me” “Then you'd best take a powder”’ (Jacques 1973: n.p.). ‘Take a Powder: Meaning, “get lost”, or “go away”’ (Sanders and Sanders 2009 [1960s]: 185). Recorded from e.20c.; an Americanism; an abbreviation of ‘run out powder’.

Take one's coat off, I’ ll (phr.): threat to fight. ‘The threat may be made “I'll take me coat off t'year” but there's nothing in it’ (Shaw 1959a: 36). ‘Says one Huyton councillor: “I'll after take me coat off to um”’ (Shaw 1966d: 6). *NR; presumably from the perceived need to take your coat off before fighting.

Take someone's kecks down (v.): to humiliate someone. ‘Take ‘ is kecks down: To put a person in his place, to expose somebody’ (Lane 1966: 105). *NR; derivation is clear.

Takers-on (n.): men employed to select workers under the casual labour scheme on the docks. ‘“Takers-on” displayed favouritism often based on religious and political issues’ (Shaw 1959c: 6). *NR; the casual labour system entailed workers queuing for the morning and afternoon shifts; the system was open to abuse on sectarian or political grounds.

Talent (n.): the local nubility (women – usually – and men – occasionally). ‘All de talint was dere an’ ev'body wus bevvied’ (Shaw 1959a: 34). ‘Dur's no talint ere. There are no pretty women here’ (Shaw et al. 1966: 62). ‘There's no talent in the pub’ (Russell 1996 [1976]: 203). ‘Weighing up the talent, just as we would at other venues’ (Fagan 2007 [1950s]: 109). Recorded from m.20c.; usually collocated with ‘local’; from ‘talent’ ‘measure of weight’, hence value.