Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a derog. name for a black person.

1857

D. Jerrold St Giles and St James I 60: Then other pretty terms, such as ‘snowball,’ ‘powder-puff,’ were hurled at Cesar, who sat and grinned in helpless anger.

2. an effeminate male homosexual [the term was notoriously used to attack the silent film god Rudolph Valentino (1895–1926)].

[1732		Fielding Lottery 18: Is this the Fellow for whom I am unknown? this Powder-Puff – Have you surrender’d to him in one Week, what I have been Ages in soliciting? [...] What can you see in this walking Perfume-shop, that can charm you?].
1911		Sheffield Dly Teleg. 20 Sept. 3/5: ‘Powder Puff’. Man Masquerades in Female Attire [...] He had a full ‘rig out’ of paints and colours and wigs [...] He was well known to the police as —‘Powder Puff’. The prisoner was sent to gaol.
[1916		O.O. McIntyre New York Day By Day 26 July [synd. col.] You dudes may [sic] me sick. I suppose you’ve got a powder puff hid on you some where].
1926		Chicago Trib. 18 July [headline] Pink Powder Puff.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks n.p.: Powder puff, a male sexual pervert (prison).
1941		G. Legman ‘Lang. of Homosexuality’ Appendix VII in Henry Sex Variants.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1965		Guild Dict. Homosexual Terms 36: powder puff (n.): Effeminate male homosexual.
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular.
1985		S. Berkoff West in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 94: You think I am a powder puff or soggy stuff thus to be shaped to humping ladies’ underwear round retailers.
1988		J. Healy Grass Arena (1990) 123: Maybe Hogan will put it about, say I’m a powder puff.
1999		Dr Dre ‘Bitch Ass Niggaz’ 🎵 Use yo’ bitch’s blush Mr. Powder Puff yo’, bark ain’t loud enough, huh.

3. a cautious fighter.

1959

D. Niland Big Smoke 16: If Tarcutta proved to be a powder puff, he could see the eyes levelled at him.

4. (W.I.) a special woman; the quality of being such a woman.

1995		Francis-Jackson Official Dancehall Dict. 41: Powder-puff a very special woman: u. she a mi powder-puff.
2006		Cham ‘Fat Punnany’ 🎵 She have nuff poda puff dat a murder.