Chapter Triumvirate of England to Trouillogan of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Trotters, a Punch and Judy showman; good-natured and unsuspicious. He is described as small in stature, very unlike his misanthropic companion, Thomas Codlin, who played the panpipes and collected the money.

His real name was Harris, but it had gradually merged into Trotters, with the prefatory adjective “Short,” by reason of the small size of his legs. Short Trotters, however, being a compound name, inconvenient in friendly dialogue, he was called either Trotters or Short, and never Short Trotters, except on occasions of ceremony.—Dickens: The Old Curiosity Shop, xvii. (1840).

Trotty, the sobriquet of Toby Veck, ticket-porter and jobman.

They called him Trotty from his pace, which meant speed, if it didn’t make it. He could have walked faster, perhaps; most likely; but rob him of his trot, and Toby would have taken to his bed and died. It bespattered him with mud in dirty weather; it cost him a world of trouble; he could have walked with infinitely greater ease; but that was one reason for his clinging to his trot so tenaciously. A weak, small, spare old man; he was a very Herculês, this Toby, in his good intentions.—Dickens: The Chimes, i. (1844).

Trotwood (Betsey), usually called “Miss Betsey,” great-aunt of David Copperfield. Her bête noir was donkeys. A dozen times a day would she rush on the green before her house to drive of the donkeys and donkey-boys. She was a most kind-hearted, worthy woman, who concealed her tenderness of heart under a snappish austerity of manner. Miss Betsey was the true friend of David Copperfield. She married in her young days a handsome man, who ill-used her and ran away, but sponged on her for money till he died.—Dickens: David Copperfield (1849).

Trouillogan, a philosopher, whose advice was, “Do as you like.” Panurge asked the sage if he advised him to marry. “Yes,” said Trouillogan. “What say you?” asked the prince. “Let it alone,” replied the sage. “Which would you advise?” inquired the prince. “Neither,” said the sage. “Neither?” cried Panurge; “that cannot be.” “Then both,” replied Trouillogan. Panurge then consulted several others, and at last the oracle of the Holy Bottle.—Rabelais: Pantagrule, iii. 36 (1545).

Molière has introduced this joke in his Mariage Forcé (1664). Sganarelle asks his friend Géronimo if he would advice him to marry, and he answers, “No.” “But,” says the old man, “I like the young woman.” “Then marry her by all means.” “That is your advice?” says Sganarelle. “My advice is so as you like,” says the friend. Sganarelle next consults two philosophers, then some gipsies, then declines to marry, and is at last compelled to do so, nolens volens.