Definition

Noun: 1. A person who solicits business, clients, or customers in an aggressive or persistent manner: A touter is someone who actively and often overtly seeks patronage, typically by approaching people in public places. 2. A person who provides tips or information, especially on racehorses, often for a fee: Historically, a touter is someone who offers insider information or predictions, particularly in the context of horse racing.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (General Solicitation):

  • The market was full of touts and toutsers trying to sell souvenirs to tourists.
  • Be wary of toutsers outside the train station offering cheap taxi rides.

• Noun (Racing/Speculative Context):

  • He made a living as a racing tout, selling tips to gamblers.
  • The tout claimed to have inside information on the favorite horse.

Advanced Usage and Notes

• The term often carries a negative connotation, implying that the solicitation is intrusive, annoying, or potentially dishonest.
• While "tout" is the more common form, "touter" is a valid variant with the same core meanings.
• In modern business contexts, the activities of a "touter" might be described less pejoratively as "direct solicitation" or "promotion."

Variants and Related Words

• Tout (noun/verb): The primary and more frequently used form.
  • As a noun: He worked as a ticket tout. (A person who resells tickets at high prices).
  • As a verb: The company will tout its new product at the convention. (To praise or advertise energetically).
• Touting (gerund/noun): The act of soliciting or promoting aggressively.
  • The strict laws reduced the touting of fake goods in the area.

Synonyms

• Hawker: A person who sells goods aggressively in public.
• Hustler: A person who obtains money by aggressive or dishonest means.
• Solicitor: One who seeks business or contributions.
• Spruiker (Australian): A person who delivers a loud, persuasive sales pitch, often outside a venue.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• To tout for business: To actively seek customers or clients.
  • New restaurants often have staff outside touting for business.
• To tout something as...: To enthusiastically describe or promote something as being of a particular quality.
  • The film was touted as the best of the year. (Note: This phrasal use employs the verb "tout").

Noun

1. someone who advertises for customers in an especially brazen way