chuff n.1
1. a generally derisive name for anyone seen as boorish, unsophisticated or rude.
[ | Promptuarium Parvulorum 77/1: Choffe or chuffe, rusticus]. | |
Erasmus’ Apophthegms (1564) Bk II 123: Therewithall a great gorrebealyed chuff. | (trans.)||
Horace his Satyres Bk I Avii: The answer say the neuer thriftes, was giuen in the Cue, Well fare his hearte: the chuffes the same with deepe disprayse pursue. | (trans.) ‘The seconde Satyre’||
Albion’s England Bk 5 xxvi 114: Now the lustfull Chuffe was come to single out his game. | ||
Arcadia II (1912) 312: That saw a butcher, a butcherlie chuffe indeed [...] calling Zelmane all the vile names of butcherly eloquence. | ||
Every Man Out of his Humour Dramatis Personae: Sordido, a wretched hob-nailed chuff. | ||
Humours Ordinarie F1: His journey is in Paules [...] Some other time stumbling on wealthy Chuffes, Worth gulling, then he swaggers all in huffes. | ||
Staple of News IV i: It was spitefully done of the poet, to make the chuff take him off in his height, when he was going to do all his brave deeds. | ||
Maronides (1678) VI 100: Swift Jemmy, or the Croyden Chuff. | ||
Goethe: a New Pantomime in Poetical Works 2 (1878) 336: Blusterer, Saucebox, Smell-feast, Weasel, / Swasher, Swaggerer, Princock, Chuff. | ||
Twice Round the Clock 209: The principal nature of the ‘Surly Club’ appeared to lie in the members all being surly, ill-tempered, wrangling chuffs. | ||
Hopsville Kentuckian (KY) 30 Nov. 3/2: Rigged out in goggles and motoring stuff, / He looked like a regular everyday ‘chuff’. | ||
Ulysses 374: Thou chuff, thou puny, thou got in the peasestraw thou losel, thou chitterling. |
2. a miser.
(trans) Golden Asse 37: [W]e learned where a riche chuffe called Chryseros did dwell, who for feare of offices in ye publique weal, dissimuled his estate, and liued sole and solitary in a small cote [...] and went dayly in ragged & torne apparell. | ||
Eng. Poets (1810) II 618/2: The Chuffes for greedie gaine / and lukers loone expende / Their New yeares gifts upon their Lords / as erie yeare hath ende. | ‘A Promise’ in Chalmers||
Henry IV Pt 1 III iii: Hang ye, ye gorbellied knaves, are ye undone? No, ye fat chuffs. | ||
Northward Hoe V i: He’s not one of your fat city chuffs. | ||
Muses’ Looking Glass IV iv: The chuff’s crowns Imprison’d in his trusty chest methinks. | ||
(con. early 17C) Fortunes of Nigel I 204: The father is held a close chuff, though a fanciful. | ||
Gloss. (1888) I 162: chuff. A term of reproach, usually applied to avaricious old citizens; of uncertain derivation. | ||
Northern Liberator (Tyne & Wear) 28 Sept. 4/4: The best joke of all [...] is the Prayer of these Cornish chuffs to the people — ‘For God’s sake, not to take any money out of the Savings’ Bank’. |
In derivatives
surly.
Dict. Americanisms. | ||
Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era. |