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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DAFF, v. and n. [dɑf]

I. v.

1. To jest; to play, sport, frolic, esp. between the sexes. Ppl.adj. daffin'. Gen. (exc. I.) Sc. Found also in Eng. (mainly n.) dial. (E.D.D.).Sc. 1907 D. MacAlister Echoes 23:
The callants nipp'd an' daff'd an' syne They hanselt ye wi' sang.Sc. 1991 John McDonald in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 88:
The feck hae notions o an auld carle
daffin 'kypes', an plunkin planets.
I lou the unkent virr
that brenns me as yon caunle brenns Inv. 1978 Eona Macnicol The Jail Dancing 11:
Some idle soldiers of the garrison walking with women in their arms and their plaids around them, two by two together, daffing and jesting. Abd. 1923 B. R. M'Intosh Scent o' the Broom 34:
The young folk they daff and they frisk roun' my chair.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 87:
The bit wis heezin wi fush-a trappit lochan o them. Fariver Zeffirino luikit, he met in wi a daffin kirn o narra luggies an glentin skails. em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 13:
Its veins that yince ran cauld an caller,
Daffin an vauntie throu the glens,
Spew up in spleiterin cloods o reik
Tae bile an brust amang the bens.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 35:
As lang's their pith or siller dow, They're daffin', and they're drinking.Edb. 1900 E. H. Strain Elmslie's Drag-Net 9:
I kent how to gie them a daffin' answer.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie I. xvi.:
Megsty me, what am I about, daffing till this time here, when I hae got a codicil to copy to a dying man's last will and testament.Rxb. 1919 Kelso Chron. (22 Aug.) 2/6:
The lads and lassies, the wives and their men, laughing and gabbing, daffing and story-telling.

2. As vbl.n.: (1) Fun, frolic; playing the fool.Sc. 1737 Ramsay Proverbs 15:
Daffin and want of Wit makes auld Wives donnard.Sc. a.1809 in E. B. Ramsay Reminisc. (1874) 174:
The power of Scottish dialect was happily exemplified by the late Dr. Adam . . . in his translation of the Horatian expression “desipere in loco,” which he turned by the Scotch phrase “Weel-timed daffin'.”Fif. 1896 D. S. Meldrum Grey Mantle 275:
He stood by himself beside the oil-lamp that lit the place, as fain for the daffing as an old wife for the dance.Edb. 1917 T. W. Paterson Wyse-Sayin's x. 48:
A fule thinks it's daffin to mell wi' the wrang.Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 10:
I have heard my mither saying in her daffing that fouk sud ay try gin their house will haud their plenishin.

†(2) Dallying, indelicate toying (Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems, Gl.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 157); “loose conversation, smutty language” (Sc. 1825 Jam.²).Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 277:
Play is good, but Daffin dow not.Sc. 1823 Scott Q. Durward xxxi.:
Respect the boy's youth and innocence, and let us have no more of such unbecoming daffing.ne.Sc. a.1835 J. Grant Tales of the Glens (1836) 261:
An' you madcap rebels wha woo i' the mirk, An' mid daffin' an' din, tine yer fear o' the Kirk.Edb. 1801 J. Thomson Poems 8:
O' blankets he had twa'r three pair, A' gayly worn wi' daffin'.Ayr. (? 1786) publ. 1799 Burns Jolly Beggars (Cent. ed.) Third Air iv.:
I ance was abus'd i' the kirk For towsing a lass i' my daffin.

†(3) Folly, stupidity.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems II. 71:
Poor Pousies now the Daffine saw Of gawn for Nignyes to the Law.Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 212:
They tell'd me ye was daft, but I'll ding the daffing out o' ye.

3. Vbl.n. in phrs. and combs.: †(1) daffin green, the village green, where the youth of the village met for games, etc.; (2) on the daffin, out for a frolic, on holiday (Bnff.², Abd.² 1939); (3) to take one's daffin aff someone, to poke fun at someone; to have a joke at the expense of someone (Fif.¹⁰ 1939).(1) Hdg. 1801 R. Gall Poems (1819) 25:
'Twas wearing gey an' late at e'en, Whan younkers leave the daffin green.(2) Hdg. 1885 “S. Mucklebackit” Rural Rhymes and Sketches 153:
Our sole object in going at all was merely to observe how farm servants conducted and enjoyed themselves when on the “daffin.”(3) Sc. 1823 J. G. Lockhart Reg. Dalton III. 116:
Ye're only taking yere daffin aff me, a' this while.

II. n. Frolic, merry-making. Found only in quot. below.m.Sc. 1917 J. Buchan Poems 49:
We cam like mice, nae sang nor soun', Nae daff nor jest.