different between naff vs raff

English

Etymology

Perhaps from Polari, 1960s.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /næf/
• Rhymes: -æf

Adjective

naff (comparative naffer, superlative naffest)

1. (Britain, colloquial, Polari) Bad; tasteless, poorly thought out, not workable.
2. (Polari) Heterosexual.

Derived terms

• naff all
• naff off

Translations

Further reading

• “naff”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• “naff”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary, (Please provide a date or year).
• naff at OneLook Dictionary Search

References

Anagrams

• FNAF, FNaF

Middle English

Noun

naff

1. (Northern) Alternative form of nave

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?æf/

Etymology 1

From Middle English raf, from Old French raffer, of Germanic origin; compare German raffen, akin to rap (“to snatch”). Compare riffraff, rip (“to tear”).

Noun

raff (countable and uncountable, plural raffs)

1. A promiscuous heap; a jumble; a large quantity; lumber; refuse.
   • 1680, Isaac Barrow, A Discourse Concerning The Unity Of The Church

     A raff of errors.

2. The common rabble or mob; riffraff.
3. A low fellow; a churl.

Derived terms

• raff merchant

Verb

raff (third-person singular simple present raffs, present participle raffing, simple past and past participle raffed)

1. To sweep, snatch, draw, or huddle together; to take by a promiscuous sweep.
   • 1602, Richard Carew, Survey of Cornwall

     Causes and effects which I thus raffe up together.

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

• raffe
• raffie

Noun

raff (plural raffs)

1. (nautical) A three-cornered sail set on a schooner when before the wind.

Anagrams

• FFAR

German

Pronunciation

Verb

raff

1. singular imperative of raffen
2. (colloquial) first-person singular present of raffen

Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ra?f/

Noun

raff

1. Soft mutation of rhaff.

Mutation

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present) , “raff”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies