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The term "towhead" refers to a child with blonde hair. Does anybody know where this term originated?

Question #13425. Asked by ronno1.
Last updated Mar 02 2024.

Related Trivia Topics: Linguistics  
JReid
Answer has 17 votes
Currently Best Answer
JReid
24 year member
155 replies

Answer has 17 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
As one website on word origins phrases it, "Tow is an old (14th century) word for flax. People whose hair resembles flax -- light colored and tousled -- are tow-headed. The term dates to the 19th century." [ website no longer exists ]

A towhead is a person with very light, blond or yellow-colored hair. The adjective form is towheaded, and either word may be hyphenated as in tow-head and tow-headed. Towhead is first seen in 1830. Tow is another word for flax, jute or hemp that is ready for spinning. Flax and hemp that is prepared for spinning is light-colored, hence a person with hair that is exceedingly light-colored or yellow would be a towhead.
link https://grammarist.com/words/towhead/


Response last updated by gtho4 on Mar 02 2024.
Aug 16 2001, 2:36 PM
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