Etymology

toe-tapper

toe-tap·per

Today it means: A piece of music with a prominent beat, to which one feels compelled to tap their toes. Full definition →

First used 2007
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The story

From toe + tapper. The second sense (“a joke”) derives from the practice of tapping one’s toes to indicate pleasure; compare toe-tappingly. The third sense (“a closeted homosexual, especially one who solicits gay sex”) derives from the Larry Craig scandal in 2007 in which then-Senator Larry Craig was arrested after tapping his right foot in a men’s restroom, an action seen as covert solicitation of sex.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 2007 A homosexual who is closeted regarding sexual orientation, especially one who solicits gay sex.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.