Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Taffy n.

[Welsh Dafydd, David]

a Welshman or a nickname for a Welshman.

1615
1700180019002000
2013
[UK] ballad in Wardroper (1969) 166: And efery tay wasse make kreat pye, Tafee, Tafee. / Pee Cott, wasse true, wasse tell no lye, Cusson Tafee.
[UK] ‘The Welsh’ Rump Poems and Songs (1662) I 241: Taffy was once a Cottamighty of Wales.
[UK]H. Crouch The Welch Traveller line 26: For want of better wit, Poor Taffie fell immediately into a great deep pit.
[Ire]‘Mac O Bonniclabbero of Drogheda’ Bog Witticisms ii: Teage and his Country-men have clearly Baffled Saint Taffy.
King Williams Blessed Deliverance 1: Ap Taffy, ap Shinkin, ap Morgan.
[chapbook title] Pleasant Hist. of Taffy’s Progress to London; with the Welshman’s Catechism.
[UK] in D’Urfey Pills to Purge Melancholy V 7: Welch Taffy he raves and crys Splutterdenails [i.e. blood and nails].
[UK]‘Nurse Lovechild’ Tommy Thumb’s Songbook II 27: Taffy was born / On a Moon Shiny Night, / His Head in a Pipkin, / His Heels upright.
[UK]O. Goldsmith ‘A Description of Various Clubs’ Coll. Works (1966) III 9: This succeeded a Welch dialogue, with the humours of Teague and Taffy.
[UK]Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 500: A little grey horse [...] which taffy’s son / Had ta’en a trip from Wales upon.
[US]P. Freneau ‘Political Balance’ in Prescott & Sanders Intro. to Amer. Poetry (1932) 83: Why, these are the Welch, and the country is Wales! [...] When Taffy is vexed, no devil is ruder.
[UK]Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn) n.p.: Taffy, i.e. Davy. A general name for a Welchman, St. David being the tutelar saint of Wales […].
[UK] ‘Valiant Welshman’ in Holloway & Black I (1975) 272: Then Taffy pull’d out his wooden sword.
[UK]P. Hawker Diary (1893) I 24 Aug. 38: The incessant roar of the herd of swine and the everlasting clack of the Taffys.
[UK]‘Bill Truck’ Man o’ War’s Man (1843) 398: He was a little, stubborn, never-forgiving Welshman [...] seeing me completely in his power, Taffy seemed quite aware of his advantages.
[UK]Comic Almanack Mar. 129: Taffy’s Anniversary [title].
[UK]Sinks of London Laid Open 76: Taffy’s lump of a body was picked up, for his soul seemed as if it had taken its flight to Davy Jones.
[UK]Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
[Scot]Dundee, Perth & Cupar Advertiser 29 Apr. 8/5: Taffy Controlling the Planets. At Bristol Police Court [...] a dirty-looking man calling himself a Welshman was charged with obtaining money by pretending to tell fortunes.
[UK]Sheffield Indep. 13 Mar. 3/7: [headline] Taffy’s Defence and Its Logic.
[UK]M. Roberts Western Avernus (1924) 165: There was a [...] Welshman whom we all called Taffy.
[UK]G.R. Sims ‘The Welshman in London’ Dagonet Ditties 128: The bard has gone back to his mountain in Wales / With his national vanity dragged through the mud, / And his faith rudely shaken in Taffy-told tales / Of the ancient and fortified City of Lud.
[UK]Sporting Times 17 Feb. 2/5: Now then, you Taffies, buck up and kill the fatted leek.
[Aus]R.H. Knyvett ‘Over There’ with the Australians 239: In an opposite bed was a Welshman with one leg who of necessity answered to the name of ‘Taffy.’.
[UK]J.B. Booth London Town 129: T.W.H. Crosland, known [...] for his polemical journalism and his books, ‘The Unspeakable Scot,’ ‘Taffy was a Welshman.’.
[Scot]Dundee Courier 27 Nov. 11/3: Taffy’s Talented — A trio of Welsh stars.
[Aus] (con. 1830s–60s) ‘Miles Franklin’ All That Swagger 212: A lone fossicker known as Taffy.
[NZ]J. Henderson Gunner Inglorious (1974) 170: ‘Me too, Taffy,’ said Ted. Ted was a Welshman too.
[Ire](con. 1940s) B. Behan Borstal Boy 97: Paddy or Taffy or Jock is all bleedin’ one to me.
[UK](con. 1948–52) L. Thomas Virgin Soldiers 84: That half-wit Taffy [...] singing about Wales and all that crap.
[UK](con. WWII) B. Aldiss Soldier Erect 86: Di Jones [...] was sitting drinking char with another Welshman from 1 Platoon, Taffy Evans.
[UK]A. Burgess 1985 (1980) 174: Sit down, Taffy boy.
[UK](con. WW2) T. Jones Heart of Oak [ebook] The collector had called me ‘Taffy’— an English attempt at the Welsh pronunciation of ‘David’ (‘ Daffyd ’).
[US]H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 280: Other generics include: [...] Taffy, a Welshman.
[US]J. McCourt ‘Vilja de Tanquay Exults’ in Queer Street 293: A big thing too / One that must have given no end of relief / To yanks and tommies, paddies, taffys and jocks.
[UK]K. Sampson Killing Pool 105: The Taffy bridles at being called ‘officer’.

In compounds

Taffyland (n.)

Wales, thus Taffylander, a native or inhabitant of Wales.

1848
185018601870188018901900191019201930
1933
[Scot]Caledonian Mercury 10 Apr. 3/6: ‘Travelling in Taffyland’ is a pleasant sketch.
[UK]Era (London) 29 Nov. 4/4: The affair consequently excites a good deal of interest in this ever speculating district of Taffyland.
[UK]N. Wales Chron. 23 Mar. 8/4: [advert] The John Bull [...] A High Class Conservative Journal [...] ‘Taffyland,’ a series of Letters by Knapsack.
[UK]‘Career of a Scapegrace’ in Leicester Chron. 10 May 12/1: He proposed that they should turn back into England, as they had had enough of Taffyland.
[UK]Bury & Norwich Post 1 Jan. 5/3: They set to work in Taffyland and stirred up strife.
[US]Detroit Free Press (MI) 27 Oct. 28/1: It was the wish of their pastor [...] that they should not forget the language that was to him the most musical [...] of Taffyland.
Scranton Republic (PA) 18 Sept. 3/3: The first to bring over Welsh terriers [...] the dog of taffyland.
[US]Anaconda Standard (MT) 4 Apr. 11/1: It is very evident that the excitement has reached Taffyland.
[UK]Queen (London) 27 July 51/3: Double Acrostics — Full Score [...] Spero, Taffylander, Wog.
[UK]Montrose, Arbroath & Brechin Rev. 10 Jan. 2: He went to his home [...] a place in Taffyland . A great crowd [...] cried to him, ‘Come now and give us some chin music, oh wonderful Taffylander’.
[Ire]Freeman’s Jrnl 27 May 8/2: Taffyland was fourth.
[UK]Montrose Rev. 28 Oct. 2/2: The brave Macdonalds [...] would have made Taffylanders run for their lives.
[UK]M. Marshall Tramp-Royal on the Toby 100: I sat there within the planting meditating on my adventures in Taffyland.
Taffy’s day (n.) (also Taffy day)

St David’s Day.

1691
17001750180018501900
1936
[UK]‘A Medley’ in Ebsworth Merry Drollery Compleat (1875) 140: We’ll [...] make the Welch Harp to play / Till Mauris ap Shinkin ap Morgan frisk on St. Taffie’s day.
[UK]A. Smith Lives of Most Noted Highway-men, etc. I 159: Such a Figure, which was wont to be hung up for a Show on St. Taffy’s Day.
[UK]Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn) n.p.: […] Taffy’s day; the first of March, St. David’s day.
[UK](con. 1900s) F. Richards Old Soldier Sahib (1965) 79: Taffy Day, as we called St. David’s Day.