▪ I. chuff, n.1
(tʃʌf)
Also 5–7 chuffe, (8 chough).
[Origin unknown. In 17th c. sometimes spelt chough by confusion with, or play on, the name of the bird.]
1. A rustic, boor, clown, churl.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 77/1 Choffe or chuffe, rusticus. 1599 Nashe Lenten Stuffe (1871) 92 All cobbing country chuffs. 1599 B. Jonson Ev. Man out Hum. Pref. 54 A wretched hob-nail'd Chuffe. 1631 R. Brathwait Whimzies, Char. Pedler 138 Hee carries his trinkilo's about him; which makes the countrey choughs esteeme him a man of prize. 1715 Kersey, Chuff, a Country-clown. [So 1721 in Bailey.] |
2. Generally applied opprobriously, with a fitting epithet, to any person disliked; esp. a. a rude coarse churlish fellow; b. a miser, a close avaricious man. Cf. boor, churl, carl, birkie, etc.
| c 1450 Henryson Mor. Fab. 66 Though yee would thig, you verie Churlish chuffe. 1564 Becon Displ. Popish Mass (1844) 269 Ye eat up all yourselves..O cankered carls! O churlish chuffs! 1579 Munday Mirr. Mut. in Farr S.P. Eliz. (1845) I. 230 The wealthy chuffe, that makes his gold his god. 1592 Nashe P. Penilesse (ed. 2) 6 b, An old straddling usurer..a fat chuffe it was. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, ii. ii. 93 Ye gorbellied knaues..ye Fat Chuffes. 1602 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass. i. ii. (Arb.) 11 Where thick-skin chuffes laugh at a schollers need. 1608 Topsell Serpents 780 The incivility of the rude chuffe, his host the citizen. 1668 R. L'Estrange Vis. Quev. (1708) 83 There knockt at the Gate a Rich Penurious Chuff. 1694 ― Fables 315 A less generous Chuff..would have hugg'd his bags to the last. 1822 Scott Nigel viii, The father is held a close chuff. 1848 L. Hunt Jar Honey xii. 168 Some greedy chuff of a millionaire. 1881 Leicestersh. Gloss. (E.D.S.) |
▪ II. † chuff, n.2 Obs.
[Origin unknown.]
A cheek swollen or puffed with fat; also, the muzzle of beasts.
| 1530 Palsgr. 205/1 Chuffe, bouffe. 1611 Cotgr., Mourre, the face, a part of the face about the mouth (most properly) of beasts; the muzzle or chuffe. |
▪ III. chuff, n.3 slang.
(tʃʌf)
[Of uncertain origin.]
The buttocks or backside; the anus.
| 1945 Baker Austral. Lang. viii. 156 Chuff, the backside or anus. 1964 J. Hale Grudge Fight ix. 154 Someone started singing to a tune from Carmen, ‘There's no need to be so rough—take your hand off that poor boy's chuff—there's no need to be so cruel—poor little bugger only just left school.’ 1977 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 12 Jan. 31/2 There was one good Super Bowl, when Joe Namath and the New York Jets of the American Football League stuffed it up the chuff of the lofty National Football League. 1980 B. Mason Solo 36 Bert: get up off your chuff and say hullo to a gentleman. 1981 Observer (Colour Suppl.) 20 Dec. 31/2 He was in a 32-ton vehicle with four tyres worn..down to the cords. And that's the fellow you get driving up your chuff. |
▪ IV. chuff, a.1 Obs. exc. dial.
(tʃʌf)
[Belongs to chuff n.2: cf. chuffy a.2]
1. Swollen or puffed out with fat; chubby.
| 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. xxxi. ii. 399 By reason of their fat chuffe-necks they are monstrously deformed. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 427/1 Chuffe, or puff Cheeks, or blob Cheeks [are] great and swelling out. 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. II. 27 His chuff cheeks dimpling in a fondling smile. 1880 W. Cornwall Gloss. (E.D.S.) 1887 Kentish Gloss. (E.D.S.) Chuff, fat, chubby. |
2. Pleased, satisfied, happy. dial.
| c 1860 in Northampton Dial., I saw the old man and he looked as chuff as ever, although he is between 80 and 90. 1876 Mid-Yorksh. Gloss. (E.D.S.) Chuff, expressive of a state of hilarious satisfaction, whether outwardly exhibited or not..‘As chuff as a cheese’, ‘As chuff as an apple’. 1881 Leicestersh. Gloss. (E.D.S.) Chuff, pleased, delighted, proud, conceited. ‘The children's quite chuff to come.’ 1888 Sheffield Gloss. (E.D.S.) Chuff, proud, pleased. ‘Thar rare an' chuff o' that dog o' thoine.’ |
▪ V. chuff, a.2 Obs. exc. dial.
[Belongs to chuff n.1 In Parish and Shaw Kentish Dial. 1887, this and the prec. are distinguished as choff and chuff.]
Surly, churlish; gruff, stern, morose.
| 1832 G. Downes Lett. Cont. Countries I. 289 Like a British sea-captain, rough, chuff, and headstrong,—but withal fair and honourable. a 1859 L. Hunt Robin Hood Poet. Wks. (1860) 149 Pure venison and good ale or wine, Except when luck was chuff. 1864 E. Capern Devon Provinc., Chuff, churlish, surly. 1880 W. Cornwall Gloss., Chuff, sullen, sulky. 1887 Kentish Dial., Choff, stern, morose. 1888 Elworthy W. Somerset Wordbk., Chuff, surly in manner, boorish, brusque, stiff and unbending. |
▪ VI. chuff, v.1 dial.
(tʃʌf)
[f. chuff n.2]
To swell or plump out (the cheeks).
| 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. II. 73 The cowboy..whose sun⁓burnt skin, and cheeks chuff'd out with fat. |
▪ VII. chuff, v.2
(tʃʌf)
[Onomatopœic.]
intr. Of an engine or machine: to work with a regularly repeated sharp puffing sound. Also n. Similarly chuff-chuff n. and v.
| 1914 D. H. Lawrence Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd iii. 76 The driving engine chuffs rapidly. 1915 ― Rainbow xv. 421 The far-off windy chuff of a shunting train. 1921 ― Sea & Sardinia 31 Slowly, with two engines, we grunt and chuff and twist to get over the break-neck heights. 1923 Blackw. Mag. Dec. 797/2 The chuff-chuff of the exhaust from the generating plant that supplied the house with electricity. 1929 J. B. Priestley Good Companions 612 The train..slowly chuff-chuffed into the gloom. 1936 M. Kennedy Together & Apart i. 33 The machine in the power house..was working away for dear life. Chuff! Chuff! it said. Chuff! Chuff! It reminded him of a certain type of woman... Here was Betsy chuff-chuffing out of the house on some errand. 1956 J. Masters Bugles & Tiger i. 32 A little locomotive would chuff across the burning desert. |