Toc-h?

Posted by Masakim on December 20, 2003

In Reply to: Toc-h? posted by Brian from Shawnee on December 20, 2003

: Down below there's a discussion about the phrase "Dim as a Toc-h lamp", but nobody explained what "Toc-h" means or stands for. I know it's a religious society similar to the Salvation Army, but what exactly does the name "Toc-h" mean? Please help this American to understand! Thanks...

Toc H a British Christian organization formed after World War I to encourage friendship and kindness in society. It developed from a club formed by a group of British soldiers in Belgium in 1915, in a building they called Talbot House, after Gordon Talbot, who was killed that year and was the brother of one of the members. The name Toc H comes from the former code in telegraphy for the letters T and H, standing for Talbot House.
From _Oxford Guide to British and American Culture_