subs. (old).—1. An old man; the masculine of GAMMER (q.v.). Also a title of address: e.g., ‘Good day, GAFFER!’ Cf., UNCLE and DADDY. Also (see quot. 1710), a husband.
1710. Dame Huddle’s Letter to Mrs. S—d Her Landlady, 20 Jan., p. 4. My GAFFER only said, he would inform himself as well as he could against next election, and keep a good conscience.
1714. GAY, The Shepherd’s Week, Fri., l. 151.
| For GAFFER Treadwell told us, by the bye, | |
| ‘Excessive sorrow is exceeding dry.’ |
1842. TENNYSON, The Goose. Ran GAFFER, stumbled Gammer.
2. (common).—A master; an employer; a BOSS (q.v.); (athletic) a pedestrian trainer and ‘farmer’; and (navvies’) a gang-master or GANGER (q.v.).
1719. D’URFEY, Wit and Mirth; or Pills to Purge Melancholy, iv., 123.
| In comes our GAFFER Underwood, | |
| and sits him on the Bench. |
1748. T. DYCHE, A New General English Dictionary (5 ed.). GAFFER (S.) a familiar word mostly used in the country for master.
1885. Daily News, 24 Jan., p. 3, c. 1. They go and work at fivepence, and some on ’em as low as threepence halfpenny, an hour; that’s just half what we get, and the GAFFERS keep ’em on and sack us.
1888. The Sportsman, 20 Dec. Comic enough were some of the stories ‘Jemmy’ told of his relations with ‘the GAFFER.’
1889. Broadside Ballad, ‘The Gaffers of the Gang.’
| We are the boys that can do the excavations | |
| We are the lads for the ’atin’ and the dhrinkin’, | |
| With the ladies we are so fascinatin’, | |
| Because we are the GAFFERS of the gang. |
3. (old).—A toss-penny; a gambler with coins. From GAFFING (q.v.).
1828. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Living Picture of London, p. 241. If the person calling for ‘man’ or ‘woman’ is not right or wrong at five guesses, neither of the GAFFERS win or lose, but go again.
