User Contributed Dictionary
Verb
touting- present participle of tout
Extensive Definition
In British
English, a tout is any person who solicits business or
employment in an importune manner (generally equivalent to a
solicitor
in American
English).
A ticket tout is someone who engages in ticket
resale for more than the face value of the ticket (though a
ticket reseller is known colloquially as a scalper rather than a
solicitor in North American parlance).
Another example would be a person who frequents
heavily touristed areas and presents himself as a tour guide
(particularly towards those who do not speak the local language).
In a similar fashion a tout would be someone who, acting upon his
own initiative, loads or unloads the baggage from a bus, then demands payment for his
services from the passengers. Some touts operate in holiday areas
on behalf of local bars, restaurant or hotels, being paid to direct
tourists towards certain establishments. However, in Kenya, which was a
British colony, a tout is a legitimate, though not very respected
occupation. Touts ride on "matatus," minivans that serve as
the primary form of public transportation, collecting the fare and
soliciting passengers.
In gambling parlance, a tout is a
person who sells sports
betting information to bettors. Another use for the term is
when used to refer to an informer or
spy. This use is very common
in Northern
Ireland, particularly in Belfast.
References
TheFreeDictionary :: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/touting
Dictionary.com :: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tout
According to American Bar Association :: Touting:
Where a person advertises, promotes, or otherwise describes a
security for sale without disclosing that the person is being paid
to do so.
See also
touting in Italian:
Bagarinaggio