different between taff vs faff

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

English

Etymology

From a dialect word meaning "blow in gusts".

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /faf/, /fæf/
• Rhymes: -æf

Noun

faff (plural faffs)

1. (Britain, slang) An overcomplicated task, especially one perceived as a waste of time.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:nuisance
2. (typically in the phrase 'in a faff') A state of confused or frantic activity.

   Synonym: flap

Verb

faff (third-person singular simple present faffs, present participle faffing, simple past and past participle faffed)

1. (Britain, slang) To waste time on an unproductive activity.

   Synonyms: arse around, (American) dick around

Usage notes

• Particularly used with about or around.

Cimbrian

Etymology 1

From Middle High German pfaffe, from Old High German pfaffo, phapho, from Latin papa, from Byzantine Greek ????? (papâs), from Koine Greek ????? (pápas), from Ancient Greek ?????? (páppas). Cognate to German Pfaffe, Dutch paap. Doublet of baabost.

Noun

faff m (plural faffen)

1. (Luserna, Sette Comuni) priest

Etymology 2

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

Noun

faff ?

1. (Luserna) lily (flower)

References

• “faff” in Martalar, Umberto Martello; Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo
• “faff” in Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Ünsarne Börtar [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien