taffyn.1
/ˈtafi/, U.S. /ˈtæfi/ Now Scottish, English regional (northern), and North American.
1.
a. A sweetmeat made from sugar or treacle, with butter, etc.: see toffee n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > confections or sweetmeats > sweets > [noun] > a sweet > toffee
taffy1817
Everton toffee1822
toffeea1825
hardbake1825
stickjaw1827
tom trot1829
tameletjie1838
butterscotch1847
peanut candy1856
caramel1884
treacle toffee1885
Harrogate toffee1890
brittle1892
peanut brittle1892
saltwater taffy1894
brickle1907
spin1913
hokey-pokey1939
1817 R. Wilbraham Attempt Gloss. Cheshire Taffy,..treacle thickened by boiling and made into hard cakes.
1825 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Suppl. Taffie, treacle mixed with flour, and boiled till it acquire consistency; a sweatmeat eaten only on Hallowe'en.
?1840 Anderson's Cumberland Ballads (new ed.) 51 Now heaps o' treagle chaps brong in, An taffey suin they meade us.
1864 Webster's Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang. Taffy, a kind of candy made of molasses boiled down and poured out in shallow pans.
1884 W. H. Rideing in Harper's Mag. Mar. 522/1 Is Everton taffy a myth?
1890 S. J. Duncan Social Departure vii. 57 The steward made almond-taffy, or toffee, as Orthodocia had been brought up to pronounce it.
b. Frequently used in comparisons as a type of something which yields to pressure or can be stretched out into lengths.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > constitution of matter > softness > pliableness > [noun] > plasticity > plastic substance > typical example of
waxc825
taffy1960
1960 R. W. Marks Dymaxion World Buckminster Fuller 127/2 The wood die rises, actuated by the console controls, while the universal-jointed giant fists stretch the metal gutter piece like taffy around the wooden die's elliptical groove perimeter.
1974 K. Millett Flying (1975) v. 474 Each wonderful swatch of hair like a chunk of taffy stretched.
1979 Sci. Amer. Oct. 117/2 Below the interface the lava is a fluid that yields like taffy when a drill probe is pushed into it.
2. U.S. slang. Crude or vulgar compliment or flattery; ‘soft soap’; blarney.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > [noun]
fickling?c1225
flattering?c1225
oluhningc1225
glozec1290
glozing1297
losengery1303
blandishingc1305
blandingc1315
flatteryc1320
glotheringc1325
soothinga1400
honey word?1406
faginga1425
flatrisec1440
smekingc1440
blandishc1475
blandiment?1510
glavering1545
coggingc1555
good1563
milksop1577
court holy water1583
glavery1583
blandishment1591
lipsalve1591
court holy bread1592
flatter1593
colloguing1596
sooth1597
daub?1602
blandation1605
lullaby1611
court-water1616
butter1618
blandiloquy1623
oil1645
court-element1649
courtshipment1649
courtship1655
blandiloquence1656
court-creama1657
daubing1656
fleecha1700
Spanish money1699
cajole1719
whiting1721
palaver1733
butter boat1747
flummery1749
treacle1771
Spanish coin1785
blancmange1790
blarney1796
soft corn1814
whillywha1816
carney1818
buttering up1819
soft soap1821
flam1825
slaver1825
soft solder1836
soothing syrup1839
soft-soaping1840
plámás1853
sawder1854
soap1854
salve1859
taffy1878
plámásing1897
flannel1927
smarm1937
flannelling1945
sweet talk1945
schmear1950
smarming1950
1878 E. L. Wheeler Buckhorn Bill 2/1 Don't try to stuff that kind of taffy down me. I know better.
1879 Tribune (N.Y.) 16 Sept. (Cent. Dict.) There will be a reaction, and the whole party will unite in an offering of taffy.
1894 W. D. Howells Traveller from Altruria 180 ‘If we learn anything at all from him, it will be because you have taught us how.’ She could not resist this bit of taffy.
1901 N. Amer. Rev. Feb. 172 At this point..we should throw in a little trade-taffy about the Blessings of Civilization.
Compounds
C1. General attributive.
a.
taffy stand n.
ΚΠ
1894 H. Caine Manxman v. x Break up every taffy stand in the fair, if you can't find anything better.
taffy stick n.
ΚΠ
1881 T. E. Brown Fo'c's'le Yarns (1889) 151 My lad with the taffystick in his fist.
b.
taffy-coloured adj.
ΚΠ
1939 L. M. Montgomery Anne of Ingleside xxxii. 232 Young Mrs David Ransome, with her taffy-coloured hair.
1970 J. Hansen Fadeout (1972) xi. 89 A taffy-colored cocker spaniel.
C2.
taffy apple n. a toffee-apple.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > confections or sweetmeats > sweets > [noun] > a sweet > toffee apple
candy apple1871
toffee apple1917
taffy apple1967
1967 Mrs. L. B. Johnson White House Diary 12 Sept. (1970) 567 Stands dispensing hot dogs, Coca Cola, taffy apples, popcorn, and cotton candy.
1978 A. Maling Lucky Devil xxiii. 122 I threw the taffy apple stick away.
taffy-join n. a reunion of young people for the making of taffy to which each contributes.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > social event > social gathering > [noun] > gatherings for specific activity
apple paring1656
house raising1704
quilting1768
bee1769
sing-song1769
reading party1781
rocking1786
cotton-picking1795
rolling1819
picking bee1828
candy pulling1834
candy pull1845
taffy-join1854
barn-raising1856
taffy pulling1863
coffee shop1880
log-rolling1883
taffy pull1883
petting party1920
play date1975
the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > preparation for table or cooking > preparing confectionery > [noun] > occasion of making taffy
candy pulling1834
candy pull1845
taffy-join1854
taffy pulling1863
taffy pull1883
1854 Taffy-join [remembered in use].
1878 W. Dickinson Gloss. Words & Phrases Cumberland (ed. 2) Taffy joinin'..young people in the country sometimes assemble on a winter evening and subscribe a few pence each to buy treacle for making ‘taffy’.
taffy pull n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > social event > social gathering > [noun] > gatherings for specific activity
apple paring1656
house raising1704
quilting1768
bee1769
sing-song1769
reading party1781
rocking1786
cotton-picking1795
rolling1819
picking bee1828
candy pulling1834
candy pull1845
taffy-join1854
barn-raising1856
taffy pulling1863
coffee shop1880
log-rolling1883
taffy pull1883
petting party1920
play date1975
the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > preparation for table or cooking > preparing confectionery > [noun] > occasion of making taffy
candy pulling1834
candy pull1845
taffy-join1854
taffy pulling1863
taffy pull1883
1883 I. M. Rittenhouse Jrnl. in Maud (1939) 159 We're going to have a taffy pull at our Y.P.T.A. Friday night.
1926 One Big Union Bulletin (Winnipeg) 19 Aug. 5/6 We had planned a taffy pull but the ball game was so prolonged that we only succeeded in making fudge.
1982 S. B. Flexner Listening to Amer. 138 The taffy pulls..were a suitable face-to-face pastime for courting couples.
taffy pulling n. an occasion on which young people assemble to make taffy.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > social event > social gathering > [noun] > gatherings for specific activity
apple paring1656
house raising1704
quilting1768
bee1769
sing-song1769
reading party1781
rocking1786
cotton-picking1795
rolling1819
picking bee1828
candy pulling1834
candy pull1845
taffy-join1854
barn-raising1856
taffy pulling1863
coffee shop1880
log-rolling1883
taffy pull1883
petting party1920
play date1975
the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > preparation for table or cooking > preparing confectionery > [noun] > occasion of making taffy
candy pulling1834
candy pull1845
taffy-join1854
taffy pulling1863
taffy pull1883
1863 M. B. Chesnut Diary 18 Dec. in C. V. Woodward Mary Chestnut's Civil War (1981) xx. 507 General Hood..wanted me to go to a taffy pulling at the Prestons'.
1912 Out West Mar. 166/2 He wrote with beautiful flourishes, little notes of regret..declining all socials, taffy pullings and croquet parties.
1959 R. E. Campbell I would do it Again ii. 7 There was taffy pulling and all the other fun that goes with a picnic.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1910; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
Taffyn.2
/ˈtafi/, U.S. /ˈtæfi/ A familiar nickname for a Welshman: cf. Paddy at paddy n.2 1a, sawney n. 1, etc. Cf. Taff n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > people > nations > native or inhabitant of Europe > British nation > Welsh nation > [noun] > native or inhabitant of Wales
WelshmanOE
WelshlOE
West Britona1387
Britain1516
Briton1583
Walesman1591
flannela1616
Taffy1699
leek1725
Cambrian1780
Welsher1857
Welshy1875
South Walian1894
Taff1929
1699 B. E. New Dict. Canting Crew Taffy, a Welshman or David. Taffy's Day, the first of March.
1709 Brit. Apollo 14–19 Jan. Welch-men are called Taffies from the Corruption of the word David.
1893 Sun 26 July 2/7 Cheers echoed over the Surrey hills when it was known that for the first time a Taffy had gained the Queen's.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1910; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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