▪ I. baff, n. Sc.
[Possibly a. OF. baffe a blow with the back of the hand; but perh. simply imitative of the sound.]
A blow with anything flat or soft, e.g. the palm of the hand, a soft ball, etc.
| a 1800 in R. Jamieson Pop. Ballads II. 382 (Jam.) His back they loundert..baff for baff. 1814 Scott Wav. lxxi, For fear some dare-the-de'il should tak a baff at them. 1854 H. Miller Sch. & Schm. (1858) 11 A cannon-ball would but play baff on you. |
▪ II. † baff, v.1 Obs.
[Possibly from LG. and Du. baffen with same meaning; but probably directly imitative: cf. yaff, and dialectal bough, buff.]
To bark or yelp as a dog; also transf. of persons.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 20 Baffyn as howndys Baulo, baffo, latro. 1570 Levins Manip. /9 To baffe, as a dog, latrare. 1599 Nashe Lent. Stuffe 37 Therewith outstept the stallfed foreman..and baft in his face. Biefe, Biefe, Biefe. |
to say neither buff nor baff: see buff.
| 1542 Udal Erasm Apoph. 11 [Who] beeyng of him bidden good spede, saied to hym again neither buff ne baff. 1549 Latimer Serm. bef. Edw. VI, 196 When he should have comforted Christ he was aslepe, not once buffe nor baffe to him. |
▪ III. baff, v.2 Sc.
(bæf)
[Cf. baff n.]
To beat, strike; spec. in Golf, to strike the ground with the sole of the club-head in making a stroke. So ˈbaffing-spoon = baffy.
| 1858 Chambers's Jrnl. X. 157/1 The names of the wooden-headed clubs principally used at St. Andrews..are as follows: the play-club, long-spoon, mid-spoon,..putter, and baffing-spoon. 1881 R. Forgan Golfer's Handbk. 10 The ‘Baffing Spoon’ is so called from the sound produced by it as it smites the ground in making the stroke. Ibid. 33 Baff. 1890 H. G. Hutchinson et al. Golf 445 Baff. |