daff

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dæf/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æf

From Middle English daf, daffe (“fool, idiot”), from Old Norse daufr (“deaf, stupid”), from Proto-Germanic *daubaz (“deaf, stunned”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (“to whisk, whirl, smoke, be obscure”). Doublet of deaf, dof, and dowf. Cognate with Swedish döv (“deaf”), Danish døv (“deaf, stupid”). More at deaf.

daff (plural daffs)

1. A fool; an idiot; a blockhead.

• bedaff
• daffish
• daffock
• daffy

From Middle English daffen (“to render foolish”), from daf, daffe (“fool, idiot”). See above.

daff (third-person singular simple present daffs, present participle daffing, simple past and past participle daffed)

1. (intransitive, Scotland) To be foolish; make sport; play; toy.
   • 1820 May, unknown author, “Marmaiden of Clyde”, in Edinburgh Magazine:

     We'll hauld our court mid the roaring lins, And daff in the lashan' tide

   • 1822, Sir Walter Scott, The Pirate:

     They admired and loved each other—enjoyed easy circumstances—had duties to discharge which they did not neglect; and, clear in conscience as light of heart, laughed, sung, danced, daffed the world aside, and bid it pass.

   • 1898 July, Neil Munro, “John Splendid: The Tale of a Poor Gentleman and the Little Wars of Lorn”, in The Living Age, volume 218, page 185:

     Left thus for long spaces in the company of Betty and the child, that daffed and croddled about her, and even became warmly friendly with me for the sake of my Paris watch and my glittering waistcoat buttons, I made many gallant attempts to get on my old easy footing.

   • 2011, Kevan Manwaring, Turning the Wheel:

     As the afternoon progressed, we become 'daffed' out.

2. (UK, dialect, obsolete) To daunt.
   • 1818, John Keats, To Thomas Keats:

     Young Tam came up and eyed me quick With reddened cheek—Braw Tam was daffed like a chick—He could na speak—Ah Marie they are all gane hame

   • 1894, James MacLaren Cobban, The Red Sultan: A Story of Adventure, page 295:

     I made out—to put it clearly—that the Sultan had been far gone in his cups when Kiamil appeared before him; that he had called the Basha such 'daffing' names as 'renegade dog,' 'toothless old hound,' 'hound without scent, that could not smell out an intrigue under his nose;' which agreeable epithets doubtless were flung about because Lorimer, and not he, had got wind of the conspiracy of the notables.

   • 1904, Justin Huntly McCarthy, The Lady of Loyalty House, page 226:

     "Perhaps, most Elysian of fair ladies, it would be, as one might say, more seemly if I, as a justice of the peace—" Brilliana daffed him down.

• daffing
• daffle

Variant of doff.

daff (third-person singular simple present daffs, present participle daffing, simple past and past participle daffed)

1. (transitive) To toss (aside); to dismiss.
   • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     DON PEDRO. I would she had bestowed this dotage on me; I would have daffed all other respects and made her half myself.

   • 1948, CS Lewis, Notes on the Way:

     Such is the record of Scripture. Nor can you daff it aside by saying that local and temporary conditions condemned women to silence and private life.

2. (transitive) To turn (someone) aside; divert.

From daffodil.

daff (plural daffs)

1. (British, informal) Clipping of daffodil.

   Get your daffs here - £2 a bunch.

   • 1934, Dorothy L. Sayers, The Nine Tailors:

     You want a few more daffs on the decani side

daff (plural daffs)

1. Alternative form of daf (“type of drum”).
   • 2008, Helene Basu, Journeys and Dwellings, page 299:

     Thus, there is considerable debate going on among Chaush whether performing daff music is in accordance with Islamic law or not,

   • 2015, Johanna Petsche, Gurdjieff and Music, page 119:

     Some of my interviewees stated that they were surprised that pianists do not include daff parts on recordings of these pieces since the daff dramatically changes the sound of the music, while other interviewees said that they found the sound of the piano and daff together uninspiring.

daff (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) A preparation of gypsum once used to adulterate food products.

• aff'd

daff (neuter singular daft, definite singular and plural daffe, comparative daffare, indefinite superlative daffast, definite superlative daffaste)

1. energyless (about somebody)

   Kjenner meg daff no etter fylla i går

   Now I'm feeling me energyless after drinking so much yesterday

daff

1. alternative form of doff

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 35