different between haffle vs gaffle

English

Etymology

Compare German haften (“to cling, stick to; (dialect) to stop, stammer”).

Verb

haffle (third-person singular simple present haffles, present participle haffling, simple past and past participle haffled)

1. (Britain, dialect) To stammer; to speak unintelligibly; to prevaricate.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

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)