different between baff vs taff

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bæf/
• Rhymes: -æf

Etymology 1

From Middle English baffen (“to bark”). Cognate with Dutch baffen (“to bark”), Low German baffen (“to bark”), German baffen, bäfzen (“to bark”), Danish bjæffe (“to yelp”), Swedish bjäbba (“to yelp, bark”). Compare buff, yaff.

Verb

baff (third-person singular simple present baffs, present participle baffing, simple past and past participle baffed)

1. (intransitive, archaic) To bark; yelp.

Etymology 2

Probably from Scots baff, beff, bauf, probably from West Flemish baf, baffe (“a blow, slap in the face”). Compare also Old French baffe (“slap in the face”) (Modern French baffe), of imitative origin.

Verb

baff (third-person singular simple present baffs, present participle baffing, simple past and past participle baffed)

1. To hit or strike, especially with something flat or soft.
2. (golf) To strike the ground with the bottom of the club when taking a stroke.

Derived terms

• baffed out

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

baff (uncountable)

1. (Tyneside) blank (Can we add an example for this sense?)

References

• Frank Graham (1987) The New Geordie Dictionary, ?ISBN
• Northumberland Words, English Dialect Society, R. Oliver Heslop, 1893–4

German

Etymology

Onomatopoeic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baf/

Adjective

baff (not comparable)

1. (colloquial, chiefly predicative) flabbergasted

Declension

Further reading

• “baff” in Duden online

English

Etymology

Shortened from Taffy, from Welsh Dafydd (“David”).

Pronunciation

Noun

taff (plural taffs)

1. (slang) A Welshman.

Anagrams

• FATF, FTFA

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /taf/
• Rhymes: -af

Noun

taff m (plural taffs)

1. (slang) Alternative form of taf

German

Alternative forms

• tough

Etymology

Originally from Yiddish ????? (tof), from Hebrew ????? (tov, “good”). Modern usage is from English tough, influenced by preexisting German tapfer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /taf/

Adjective

taff (comparative taffer, superlative am taffsten)

1. (colloquial) tough; robust; assertive and not overly sensitive

   Enrique Iglesias über seine Lebensgefährtin: “Ich wünschte, ich wäre nur halb so taff und kämpferisch.”

Declension