touch of the tar brush

have a touch of the tar brush

dated ethnic slur To be of mixed race, such that one's skin is darker than that of a person with only white ancestry. My racist aunt refuses to vote for someone who has a touch of the tar brush.
See also: brush, have, of, tar, touch

touch of the tar brush

dated An ethnic slur used to indicate that someone is of mixed race, i.e., that their skin is darker than that of a person with only white ancestry. My racist aunt refuses to vote for someone who has a touch of the tar brush.
See also: brush, of, tar, touch
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • have a lick of the tar brush
  • have a touch of the tar brush
  • twinkie
  • ace boon-coon
  • come to a climax
  • climax
  • bring (something) to a climax
  • change places with
  • change places with (one)
  • change sides
References in periodicals archive
CELEBRITY: Liverpool's former world boxing champion John Conteh talks about the film A Touch of the Tar Brush, a Black Audio Collective documentary retracing the 1933 steps of JB Priestley, and who filmed the same Liverpool family many years later.
ARTS DIARY: KEY Events; THE ARTS EDITOR'S PICK OF THE DAY
"Touch of the tar brush. There's too many of our own out of work."
Shelley Vision: Show Ron no Mersey
Does he not realise that this remark together with the associated phrase "touch of the tar brush'' is racist?
LETTERS: your views special American attacks