different between gaffle vs yaffle

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??æfl?/
• Rhymes: -æf?l

Etymology 1

From Middle English gaffolle, a borrowing from Middle Dutch gaffel, gafel (“fork”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *gabulu (“fork”), related to Old English gafol, ?eafel (“fork”).

Noun

gaffle (plural gaffles)

1. (obsolete) A lever used to bend a crossbow.
2. A steel spur attached to a gamecock (sometimes used figuratively).
3. (historical, artillery) A portable fork of iron or wood in which the heavy musket formerly in use was rested that it might be accurately aimed and fired.

Verb

gaffle (third-person singular simple present gaffles, present participle gaffling, simple past and past participle gaffled)

1. To equip with a gaffle or similar weapon.

Etymology 2

Blend of gaff +? grapple.

Verb

gaffle (third-person singular simple present gaffles, present participle gaffling, simple past and past participle gaffled)

1. To grab or seize
2. To get hold of, to find.
3. To arrest for criminal activity.
4. To steal
5. To swindle or bully (someone)
6. To talk without a purpose, usually about inane or pointless topics; to babble.

References

• OED 2nd edition 1989 (noun sense)

English

Etymology

Imitative of the bird's cry.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?jafl?/

  Rhymes: -æf?l

Noun

yaffle (plural yaffles)

1. (Britain, dialectal) The European green woodpecker, Picus viridis.
   • 1924, Ford Madox Ford, Some Do Not…, Penguin 2012 (Parade's End), p. 119:

     “‘Punched that rotton strap,’ he goes on saying, ‘like a gret ol' yaffle punchin' a 'ollow log!’”

Synonyms

• (Picus viridis): yaffingale, yaffler, woodall

Translations

Verb

yaffle (third-person singular simple present yaffles, present participle yaffling, simple past and past participle yaffled)

1. (intransitive) Of the green woodpecker: to make its distinctive cry.
   • 2005, Tim Kendall, Strange Land (page 13)

     Green woodpecker is not without options. Each year the builder comes to fix the house of the wooden roof. Green woodpecker watches then flies away, yaffling.

Anagrams

• Laffey