Sc. and dial. [echoic. Cf. FAFFLE, faff dial.]
1. intr. To puff. Said of a breeze, fire, etc.; also, of a person in anger or out of breath. Also, to fume and fuff, fuff and pegh.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VIII. vii. 120. The hait fyr Dois fuf and blaw in blesis byrnand schyr.
1721. Ramsay, Elegy Patie Birnie, iii. When strangers landed Fuffin an peghing, he wad gang, And crave their pardon that sae lang Hed been a coming.
1756. Mrs. Calderwood, Jrnl., vii. (1884), 204. She was very fond of all our party, but to others she fuffed and kindled, if they but opened their mouth.
1819. W. Tennant, Papistry Stormd (1827), 160. For ane that gat in o that rout, Ten fuffin stood a while thairout.
1822. Hogg, Perils of Man, II. 39. He brings me in mind o a barrel o beer, fuming and fuffing.
1864. Athenæum, No. 1928, 8 Oct., 456/2.
It was a smithy, fuffing, glowing, | |
With Devils coming, Devils going. |
1876. Whitby Gloss., Fuff, to puff, as a breeze does.
b. To go away or off with a puff. lit. and fig.
1822. Galt, Sir A. Wylie, III. xviii. 150. I wouldna be surprised an he fuffd awa wi a his goud and gear to Miss Jenny Templeton o the Braehead, thats got the tocher frae Indy.
1892. Northumbld. Gloss., s.v., The poother fuffed off iv a jiffy.
2. Of a cat or tiger: To spit.
a. 1693. [see the vbl. sb.].
1840. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett. (1883), I. 124. We got her bolted into the back kitchen, in a corner of which she had established herself all coiled up and fuffing like a young tiger about to spring or like the Bride of Lammermoor (if you ever heard of that profane book).
3. trans. To puff (a tobacco-pipe). Also, to send out (steam) with a fuff.
1787. Burns, Halloween, xiii. She fufft her pipe wi sic a lunt.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xlv Reuben Butler isna the man I take him to be, if he disna learn the Captain to fuff his pipe some other gate than in Gods house.
1894. Crockett, Raiders, xxvii. 203. The pot boiled and fuffed out little puffs of steam, and gave forth a warm and comfortable smell, full of promise.
Hence Fuffing vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1687. Colvil, Whigs Supplic. (1751), 151. Batrons Doth fall a fuffing, and a mewing, While monkeys are the chesnuts chewing.
a. 1693. Urquhart, Rabelais, III. xiii. 107. Mioling of Tygers, bruzzing of Bears, sussing [read fuffing (Jam.)] of Kitnings.
1822. Hogg, Perils of Man, II. 231. I should hae said something in return, but I was like to fa to the fuffing and greeting.
1895. Crockett, Men of Moss-hags, xxiii. 165. Them that steals hings in a towan forbye, burns in muckle hellbleezin up in fuffin lowes juist as the beardie auld man Sandy Peden said.