cuff, v.¹ — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

cuff v.¹

[SE cuff, to strike with the fist; note Rötwelsch (Ger. rogues’ cant) kuffen, to thrash]

1. (US black) to hit, to fight.

1897		A.H. Lewis Wolfville 113: She takes it out in cuffin’ the yearlin’s now an’ then, jest to keep ’em yellin’.
1923		H.C. Witwer Fighting Blood 366: I won’t cuff you because I’m sorry for you.
1939		(con. 1880–90s) S. O’Casey I Knock at the Door 229: A few Fenian faces in the crowd among the Irish [...] were soon collared by the police, an’ cuffed out of the vicinity.
1949		A. Hynd We Are the Public Enemies 95: Now he began to cuff Beuloah Baird around, just, for the hell of it.
1952		W.R. Burnett Little Men, Big World 65: She’s figuring she’ll do something wrong without knowing it and you’ll cuff her around.
1979		D. Maitland Breaking Out 290: Dickie King stepped forward and cuffed Willie right across the left ear.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 104: The largest number of fight terms deals with fist-fights (to [...] thump, to cuff).
2000		R.G. Barrett Leaving Bondi (2013) [ebook] [T]oo many blokes there either Les or Billy had cuffed.

2. to defeat (in a competition).

2001

I. Welsh Glue 51: The whistle goes again, n it’s over, we’ve cuffed them.

cuff a/the carrot (v.)

see under carrot n.

cuff Jonas (v.) (also knock Anthony) [SE cuff, to strike + generic use of Anthony/Jonas, a person, oneself]

1. of one’s knees, to knock together.

1785		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: To knock Anthony, said of a inkneed person, or one whose knees knock together n.p.: To cuff Jonas, said of one who is knock kneed, or who beats his sides to keep himself warm in frosty weather.
1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn).
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

2. to strike the hands under the armpits to warm them.

1785, 1796, 1811, 1823

see sense 1.

cuff one’s/the dummy (v.)

go from the cuff (v.)

(US black) to have a fist fight.

1969

R.L. Keiser Vice Lords 17: Jesse and her started going from the cuff. They was actually out there boxing.