gaff

English

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -æf

Etymology 1

Middle English, from Middle French gaffe, from Old Provençal gaf (“hook”), derivative of gafar (“to sieze”), from Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍆𐍆- derived from 𐌲𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽 (giban, “to give”).

Alternative forms

• gaffe

Noun

gaff (plural gaffs)

1. A tool consisting of a large metal hook with a handle or pole, especially the one used to pull large fish aboard a boat.
2. A minor error or faux pas.

   We politely ignored his gaff.

3. A trick or con.

   The sideshow feat was a just a gaff, but the audience was too proud to admit they'd been fooled.

4. (UK, slang) A place of residence.

   We're going round to Mike's gaff later to watch the footie.

5. (nautical) The upper spar used to control a gaff-rigged sail.
6. A garment worn to hide the genitals by male transvestites.

Synonyms

• hakapik

Translations

handle with a hook

• Russian: багор (ru) (bagór) m

Verb

gaff (third-person singular simple present gaffs, present participle gaffing, simple past and past participle gaffed)

1. To use a gaff, especially to land a fish.
2. To cheat or hoax

Derived terms

• gaffer

Etymology 2

Perhaps from Old English gafsprǣc (“buffoonery, scurrility; blasphemous or ribald speech”), from Old English gaf (“base, vile, lewd”) + Old English sprǣc (“language, speech, talk”)

Noun

gaff

1. rough or harsh treatment; criticism

   1916, Edgar Rice Burrows, Beyond Thirty (aka The Lost Continent)^[1], edition HTML, The Gutenberg Project, published 2008:

   "Numbers one, two, and five engines have broken down, sir," he called. "Shall we force the remaining three?" / "We can do nothing else," I bellowed into the transmitter. / "They won't stand the gaff, sir," he returned. / "Can you suggest a better plan?" I asked. / "No, sir," he replied. / "Then give them the gaff, lieutenant," I shouted back, and hung up the receiver.

References

• Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia, gaff
• New Oxford American Dictionary, gaff[2]

Anagrams

• aff'g