On Fri, 7 Mar 2003, Dickenson, Steven wrote:
> My question is what does "chuffed" mean??
Highly pleased in a self-satisfied kind of way.
However, the online OED says this:
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a. Pleased, satisfied. b. Displeased, disgruntled.
a. 1957 P. WILDEBLOOD Main Chance ix. 163 Aren't you pleased? There's
not many kids of your age what owns a factory. You ought to be dead
chuffed about it. 1960 A. WAUGH Foxglove Saga xii. 218 He was chuffed at
this new monumental skive he had discovered. 1961 S. PRICE Just for
Record iv. 29 My beard is black, all-black. That makes me pretty
chuffed. 1967 Crescendo May 6 (Advt.), I cannot express too much just
how `chuffed' I am with the drums.
b. 1960 D. STOREY This Sporting Life I. ii. 59, I felt pretty chuffed
with myself. 1964 C. DALE Other People viii. 158 Don't let on they're
after you, see, or she'll be dead chuffed, see? She don' like the law.
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I'd never heard of the second meaning. That's a typical bit of English
confusion, using the same word with opposite meanings. The first meaning
seems to to back further, taken from "chuff":
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c1860 in Northampton Dial., I saw the old man and he looked as chuff as
ever, although he is between 80 and 90. 1876 Mid-Yorksh. Gloss. (E.D.S.)
Chuff, expressive of a state of hilarious satisfaction, whether
outwardly exhibited or not..`As chuff as a cheese', `As chuff as an
apple'. 1881 Leicestersh. Gloss. (E.D.S.) Chuff, pleased, delighted,
proud, conceited. `The children's quite chuff to come.' 1888 Sheffield
Gloss. (E.D.S.) Chuff, proud, pleased. `Thar rare an' chuff o' that dog
o' thoine.'
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--
Philip Hazel University of Cambridge Computing Service,
ph10@??? Cambridge, England. Phone: +44 1223 334714.
