A cheerful or lively person, or in British dialect, a small tuft of hair or matted wool.
From Old English 'tatu' meaning 'matted hair.' The sense of 'lively person' is dialectal and may derive from the same root referring to someone with tousled, energetic appearance.
The word captures something unique to British dialect—the idea that a person's disheveled appearance could indicate their spirited personality, blending physical and emotional descriptions.
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