subs. (colloquial).—1. An outburst of temper; peevishness; offence at some real or imaginary wrong or slight. Hence, TO GET (or TAKE) THE HUFF = to fly into a passion.
1599. HENRY PORTER, The Two Angry Women of Abingdon (DODSLEY, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, vii., 311).
| And as to me thou say’st to him I said, | |
| But in a greater HUFF and hotter blood. |
1676. ETHEREGE, The Man of Mode, Wks. (1704), i., 190. Tax her with the next fop that comes into my head, and in A HUFF march away.
1688. SHADWELL, The Squire of Alsatia, iii., 1, Wks. (1720), iv., 63. Cheat. If you were not the brother to my dearest friend, I know what my honour would prompt me to. [Walks in a HUFF.]
1700. FARQUHAR, The Constant Couple, ii., 2. I offer’d her fifty guineas, and she was in her airs presently, and flew away in A HUFF.
1705–7. WARD, Hudibras Redivivus, vol. II., pt. iv., p. 26.
| I pay’d three Shillings, in A HUFF, | |
| For my naif Pint of liquid Stuff. |
1759–67. STERNE, Tristram Shandy, ch. xxix. He left off the study of projectiles in a kind of HUFF, and betook himself to the practical part of fortification only. Idem. ch. c. Can I? cried Susannah, shutting the door in a HUFF.
1769. CHATTERTON, Poems, ‘Journal’ (CHALMERS, English Poets, 1810, xv., 495). ‘Sir,’ quoth the Rector in a HUFF.
1777. SHERIDAN, A Trip to Scarborough, i., 1. The lady not condescending to give me any serious reasons for having fool’d me for a month, I left her IN A HUFF.
1825. NEAL, Brother Jonathan, bk. II., ch. 16. What a HUFF you’re at! I only axed a question.
1855. THACKERAY, The Newcomes, ch. xx. He is as proud as Lucifer, he is always taking HUFF about one thing or the other.
1855. BROWNING, Men and Women. Fra Lippo Lippi, ed. 1864, p. 357.
| You’ll not mistake an idle word | |
| Spoke in a HUFF by a poor monk. |
1885. T. E. BROWN, The Doctor, p. 30. Already my goodness! he’s TAKING THE HUFF.
1892. T. A. GUTHRIE (‘F. Anstey’), Mr. Punch’s Model Music-Hall Songs & Dramas, 37. Some parties IN A HUFF rage at the plea for Female Suffrage.
2. (old).—A bully; a HECTOR (q.v.); a sharper. Also CAPTAIN HUFF.
1569. PRESTON, Cambyses (DODSLEY, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, iv., 177). [Enter three Ruffians, HUFF, Ruff, and Snuff, singing.]
1680. COTTON, The Compleat Gamester, p. 333. HUFFS, hectors, setters, gilts, pads, biters, etc.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v.
1693. CONGREVE, The Old Bachelor, iv., 9. Good, slovenly CAPTAIN HUFF, Bluffe (what is your hideous name?).
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
3. (common).—A dodge; a trick.
4. (draughts’).—A term in the game of draughts; the penalty for not taking a piece.
5. (Winchester College).—See HUFF-CAP.
Verb. (colloquial).—1. To bluster; to bounce; to swagger.
1602. J. COOKE, How a Man may Choose a Good Wife from a Bad, iv., 3 (DODSLEY, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, ix., 76). A HUFFING wench, i’ faith.
1630. TAYLOR (‘The Water Poet’), Workes. The Smell is the senting Bawd, that HUFFS and snuffs up and downe, and hath the game alwayes in the winde. Ibid. One asked a HUFFING Gallant, why he had not a Looking-Glasse in his Chamber; he answered, he durst not, because he was often angry, and then he look’d so terribly, that he was fearefull to looke upon himselfe.
d. 1631. DONNE, Satires, iv. (CHALMERS, English Poets, 1810, v., 158). To th’ HUFFING, braggart, puffed nobility.
1643. RANDOLPH, The Muse’s Looking-Glass, i., 1.
| Flowrd. Iniquity aboundeth, though pure zeale | |
| Teach, preach, HUFFE, puffe, and snuffe at it, yet still | |
| Still it aboundeth. |
1673. WYCHERLEY, The Gentleman Dancing-Master, v., 1. How! my surly, HUFFING, jealous, senseless, saucy master?
1675. WYCHERLEY, The Country Wife, ‘Prologue.’
| Well, let the vain, rash fop, by HUFFING so, | |
| Think to obtain the better terms of you. |
1680. DRYDEN, Prologue to Lee’s Cæsar Borgia, p. 29.
| So big you look, though claret you retrench, | |
| That, arm’d with bottled ale, you HUFF the French. |
d. 1680. ROCHESTER, Poems, ‘Woman’s Honour’ (CHALMERS, English Poets, 1810, viii., 139).
| This HUFFING Honour domineers | |
| In breasts, where he alone has place. |
1682. BUNYAN, Holy War (1893 ed. M. Peacock, p. 72). He refused and HUFFED as well as he could, but in heart he was afraid.
1690. The Pagan Prince. And the same threats and menaces of the palatine being carry’d to the marshal de Tonneure, notwithstanding all his former encomiums, Oh! quo he, the palatine’s a young prince; give him leave to HUFF AND DING for his living; words break no bones: when all’s done, ’tis the coach wheel, not the fly that raises the dust.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. HUFF. TO HUFF AND DING, to bounce and swagger.
1699. ROBERT FRANCK, Northern Memoirs (quoted in The New Review, Aug., 1893, p. 145). So HUFFED away.
1700. CENTLIVRE, The Perjured Husband. ‘Epilogue.’ Let cowards cease to HUFF.
1705. WARD, Hudibras Redivivus, vol. I., pt. iii., p. 14.
| And in their frenzy, HUFF and threaten | |
| With what sad stripes we shall be beaten. |
1708. PRIOR, Poems, ‘The Mice.’ (Aldine ed. ii., 244, 50).
| One went to Holland where they HUFF folk, | |
| T’ other to vend his wares in Suffolk. |
1711. Newest Academy of Compliments.
| Pray neighbour, why d’ye look awry? | |
| You’re grown a wondrous stranger; | |
| You HUFF, you pout, you walk about | |
| As tho’ you’d burst with anger. |
1719. D’URFEY, Wit and Mirth; or Pills to Purge Melancholy, i., 283.
| Thus, thus I strut and HUFF. | |
| Idem., i., 154. | |
| But when the new ones did stoop, | |
| The t’other as HUFFING would be. | |
| Idem., v., 99. | |
| When Bullies leave HUFFING and Cowards their Trembling. |
1725. SWIFT, Poems, ‘A New Song’ (CHALMERS, English Poets, 1810, xi., 446).
| If he goes to the Baker, the Baker will HUFF, | |
| And twenty-pence have for a two-penny loaf. |
d. 1742. SOMERVILLE, Occasional Poems, ‘The Officious Messenger’ (CHALMERS, English Poets, 1810, xi., 206). Her ladyship began TO HUFF.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
2. To anger; TO CHEEK (q.v.); to get angered.
1708. CENTLIVRE, The Busy Body, iii., 4. Impossible, without he HUFFS the lady, and makes love to Sir Francis.
1834. MARRYAT, Jacob Faithful, ch. xliii. Upon this she HUFFS outright, and tells Tom he may go about his business, for she didn’t care if she never sees him no more.
1839. W. H. AINSWORTH, Jack Sheppard, p. 133 (Ed. 1840). If they do, now and then, run away with a knocker, paint a sign, beat the watch, or HUFF a magistrate.
Intj. (obsolete).—See quots. Also HUFFA and HUFFA-GALLANT. [Probably the oldest form of the word.]
c. 1510. The Four Elements (DODSLEY, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, i., 20).
| With HUFFA GALLANT, sing tirl on the berry, | |
| And let the wide world wind! |
c. 1520. Hickscorner (DODSLEY, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, i., 188). HUFF! HUFF! HUFF! who sent after me.
d. 1529. SKELTON, Poems, ‘Against Garnesche’ (DYCE, i., 118, and note ii., 181-2). HUF A GALANTE, Garnesche, loke on your comely cors!
TO STAND THE HUFF, verb. phr. (old).—To stand the reckoning.—Lexicon Balatronicum.
Also HUFFY = easily offended; HUFFED = annoyed; HUFFILY = testily; in a tantrum.
1825. NEAL, Brother Jonathan, bk. II., ch. 15. A leetle on the HUFFY order, I guess! aint you?
1852. H. B. STOWE, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, ch. xvi. I … actually was so cruel as to restrict him to one dozen of my cambric handkerchiefs. Dolph was particularly HUFFY about it, and I had to talk to him like a father to bring him round.
1853. BULWER-LYTTON, My Novel, bk. I., ch. ix. Though the Squire was inclined to be very friendly to all his neighbours, he was, like most country gentlemen, rather easily HUFFED.
1873. BROUGHTON, Nancy, ch. xxxvi. ‘I have no doubt you would!’ say I, turning sharply and HUFFILY away.
1875. OUIDA, Signa, vol. II., ch. xx., p. 324. ‘She is a stupid little mule,’ thought the old woman, angrily. ‘She feels nothing, she sees no greatness in it all—she is only good to grub amongst her cabbages.’ And she went away HUFFED.
1885. T. E. BROWN, The Doctor, p. 31. HUFFED, is he, eh? And who regards him!
