different between waffle vs gaffle

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?w?fl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?w?f?l/, /?w?-/
• Rhymes: -?f?l
• Hyphenation: waf?fle

Etymology 1

The noun is borrowed from Dutch wafel (“waffle; wafer”), from Middle Dutch wafel, wafele, wavel, from Old Dutch *w?vila, from Proto-Germanic *w?bil?, *w?bil?, possibly related to Proto-Indo-European *web?- (“to braid, weave”) (whence Dutch weven (“to weave”) and English weave), and possibly reinforced by German Waffel (“waffle; wafer”). The English word is a doublet of wafer.

The verb (“to smash”) derives from the manner in which batter is pressed into the shape of a waffle between the two halves of a waffle iron.

Noun

waffle (plural waffles)

1. (countable, originally US) A flat pastry pressed with a grid pattern, often eaten hot with butter and/or honey or syrup.

2. (countable, Britain) In full potato waffle: a savoury flat potato cake with the same kind of grid pattern.
3. (construction, also attributively) A concrete slab used in flooring with a gridlike structure of ribs running at right angles to each other on its underside.
   • 1970, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Manual of Standard Practice

     Both joists and slab are cast in place to form a monolithic unit, integral with the supporting beams and columns. The joists form a characteristic waffle pattern on the underside. Structural design of joist construction: one-way or waffle flat slab […]

   • 1993, Harry Parker, James Ambrose, Simplified Engineering for Architects and Builders:

     The most widely used type of waffle construction is the waffle flat slab, in which solid portions around column supports are […] These beams may be produced as projections below the waffle, as shown […]

   • 2008, Edward G. Nawy, Concrete Construction Engineering Handbook, CRC Press (?ISBN), page 9:

     In one-way (pan joist) and two-way (waffle) joist construction, a similar layout is usually adopted.

4. (textiles, chiefly attributively) A type of fabric woven with a honeycomb texture.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

waffle (third-person singular simple present waffles, present participle waffling, simple past and past participle waffled)

1. (transitive, slang) To smash (something).
   • 1997, Bill Conlin, Kevin Kerrane (editor), "Batting cleanup, Bill Conlin", page 121:

     These were not the Cowboys who were waffled, 45–14, here at mid-season. They came prepared to play a championship football game, with an ultra-conservative game plan suited to the horrendous turf conditions, and came close to pulling it off [...]

   • 2005, Shawn Michaels, with Aaron Feigenbaum, Heartbreak & Triumph: The Shawn Michaels Story, Page 47:

     Then I waffled him and knocked him down. Why I cut myself open with the razor, I'm not completely sure. I was like the idiot in a bar who gets all worked up and smashes a bottle over his head [...]

   • 2006, Gordon Forbes, Tales from the Eagles Sideline (updated edition), page 2:

     Bednarik, however, says the play became legendary only because of the circumstances. "I did it [...] to the top honcho. He just happened to be there and the pass was thrown to him. I waffled him cleanly." [...] "He just cold-cocked Frank," said linebacker Bob Pellegrini, whose injury sent Bednarik into the game to play defense.

Translations

Etymology 2

The verb is borrowed from Scots waffle (“to waver, flap, flutter; to cause to flap or wave; to move uncertainly, stagger, totter; (figuratively) to vacillate, waver; of the wind: to gust, especially in different directions; to crease, wrinkle; to confuse, tangle; to become limp or soft; a flapping, waving; a tossing about, as if by wind; weak gust of wind; light fall of snow; loosely woven or thin cloth; feeble person; flexible; feeble, weak”), from waff (“to wag, wave; to flap, flutter; to agitate the air, to fan; of an air current or wind: to blow, waft; to set moving, drive; to scatter with a flapping or waving movement; flapping or waving movement, a flutter; signal made by waving; banner, flag; air current, draft, puff; material blown about by the wind; slight aroma, whiff; soft sound, murmur; quick view, glimpse; slight touch, glancing blow; mild illness; short experience (especially of something pleasant); apparition, ghost”) + -le (diminutive or frequentative suffix). Waff is derived from Early Scots waff (“signal; gust of wind; glimpse; a flapping, waving”), from Northern Middle English wafe, waffe, a variant of waven (“to move to and fro, sway; to stray, wander; (figuratively) to follow a weaving course; (figuratively) to vacillate, waver; to move something to and fro, wave”) (whence wave), from Old English wafian (“to wave”), from Proto-Germanic *wab?n?, *wabjan? (“to sway; to wander”), from Proto-Indo-European *web?- (“to braid, weave”).

Regarding sense 5 (“to speak or write (something) at length without any clear aim or point”), compare Old English wæflian (“to talk foolishly”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Germanic *babal?n? (“to babble, chatter”), from Proto-Indo-European *b??- (“to say”) and/or Proto-Indo-European *baba- (“to talk vaguely; to mumble”). The Oxford English Dictionary does not derive the English word waffle from this Old English word.

The noun is derived from the verb.

Verb

waffle (third-person singular simple present waffles, present participle waffling, simple past and past participle waffled)

1. (intransitive) To speak or write evasively or vaguely.

   Synonym: beat around the bush
2. (intransitive) Of a bird: to move in a side-to-side motion while descending before landing.

   Synonym: whiffle

3. (intransitive, aviation, road transport, colloquial) Of an aircraft or motor vehicle: to travel in a slow and unhurried manner.
4. (intransitive, originally Northern England, Scotland, colloquial) To be indecisive about something; to dither, to vacillate, to waver.

   Synonym: blow hot and cold
5. (transitive, intransitive) Often followed by on: to speak or write (something) at length without any clear aim or point; to ramble.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:prattle

   • 1976 Tony Hatch, So you want to be in the music business, Everest Books, p68

     Unless you have a great line in gags or repartee don't waffle on aimlessly to your audience, or make in-jokes among yourselves, the band or the compere/DJ.

   • 1984 "Apiary Antics- No.5," British bee journal, Volumes 112-113, p68

     Before getting down to the nitty gritty of beekeeping, most contributors to BBJ like to waffle on for a bit about the weather, the state of their garden or something equally inconsequential.

   • 2005 Bill Condon, No Worries, Univ. of Queensland Press, p78

     She waffled on for ages. Usually I'd say something smart or make it obvious that I wasn't interested and couldn't be bothered listening.

   • 2006 Carl Storm, A Mighty Fine Way to Live and Die, Backstrap Ltd, p8

     The whole thing ended suddenly when the hotel manager arrived. He waffled on for a bit; this settled everyone down.

6. (transitive) To hold horizontally and rotate (one's hand) back and forth in a gesture of ambivalence or vacillation.
   • 2007, Michael Koryta, Sorrow’s Anthem, Macmillan, ?ISBN, page 146:

     “ […] You get anything useful on the background checks?” / He waffled his hand. “Nothing like what you brought back, but still some interesting notes. […]”

Derived terms

• waffler
• waffling (adjective, noun)

Translations

Noun

waffle (uncountable)

1. (colloquial) (Often lengthy) speech or writing that is evasive or vague, or pretentious.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:chatter

Translations

Etymology 3

Possibly from waff (“(dialectal) to bark, woof”) (imitative of a dog’s yelp) + -le (diminutive or frequentative suffix).

Verb

waffle (third-person singular simple present waffles, present participle waffling, simple past and past participle waffled)

1. (intransitive, Britain, dialectal) Of a dog: to bark with a high pitch like a puppy, or in muffled manner.

Noun

waffle (plural waffles)

1. (Britain, dialectal) The high-pitched sound made by a young dog; also, a muffled bark.

See also

• wuffle

References

Further reading

• waffle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• waffle slab on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from English waffle.

Noun

waffle m or f (in variation) (plural waffles)

1. waffle (type of flat pastry)

Spanish

Alternative forms

• wafle (less frequent spelling)

Etymology

Borrowed from English waffle.

Noun

waffle m (plural waffles)

1. (Latin America) waffle (type of flat pastry)

   Synonym: (Spain) gofre

Related terms

• waflera

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)