taffy en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈtæ.fi/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Probably related to tafia (“a type of rum”).
Meanings
- (US, countable, uncountable) A soft, chewy candy made from boiled sugar, molasses, or corn syrup and butter.
-
(countable, informal, uncountable) Flattery.
Cut out the taffy. Who's your friend?
1912, Upton Sinclair, The Machine:[…] if these statistices should seem to fail to tally with the facts, in places, do not nudge your neighbor, or press your foot upon his toes, or manifest, by any other sign, your awareness that taffy is being distributed.
1881, Mark Twain, Unfinished Burlesque on Books of Etiquette:
-
(UK, countable, derogatory, uncountable, usually) Welsh person.
"Some people may find Taffy a bit derogatory but a lot of people are interested in displaying that on their vehicles. That's a way they can express their Welshness. But we haven't sold any plates with combinations of 'boyo'."
30-03-2013, Rhodri Clark, quoting Louise Pierpoint, “Why there's still mileage in the name 'Taffy'”, in WalesOnline:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| toffee | alternative | lexicographic | |
| taffies | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
laffy taffy · salt water taffy · maple taffy · taffylike · saltwater taffy · taffymaking · taffy pull
Translations (14)
pl mordoklejka (soft, chewy candy) · es caramelo de melaza (soft, chewy candy) · tl balikutsa (soft, chewy candy) · es chicloso (soft, chewy candy) · fr caramels mous (soft, chewy candy) · fi toffee (soft, chewy candy) · pl ciągutka (soft, chewy candy) · fr caramel mou (soft, chewy candy) · cs pochlebování (flattery) · tl balkutsa (soft, chewy candy) · ru ири́ска (soft, chewy candy) · ceb tiratira (soft, chewy candy) · ru ири́с (soft, chewy candy) · cs lichotky (flattery)