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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

MUFF, n., v. Also muf. Deriv. muffit. As in Eng., a covering for keeping the hands warm. Adj. muffie, like a muff.

I. n. In combs. and derivs. used as bird names for species with distinctive throat markings or raised feathers giving a muff-like effect: 1. muff cock, the woodcock, Scolopax rusticola (Sc. 1930 S. Gordon Hill Birds 156); 2. muffie, (1) the whitethroat, Sylvia communis (Fif. 1933). Cf. 6.; (2) a woolly type of moth (Fif. 1919 T.S.D.C.), also attrib. Cf. mufty s.v. II.; 3. muffie wren, the willow warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus (Rnf. 1885 C. Swainson Brit. Birds 26); 4. muffi-legged, of a hen: having profuse feathering about the legs (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), Sh. 1963); 5. muffit, the whitethroat, Sylvia communis, phs. short for muffit wren, see v. Cf. 2 and Churr Muffit. Dim. muffitie, the willow warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus (Abd. 1901 G. Sim in Book of Ellon 44); 6. muffie wheybeard, muffy-why-baerd, the whitethroat, Sylvia communis; the blue tit, Parus caeruleus (Fif. 1919 T.S.D.C.). See also whey-beard s.v. Whey, and 2. (1).2. (2) s.Sc. 1847 H. S. Riddell Poems 50:
And the blythsome muffie butterflees Are dancing on fu' light.6. Fif. 1875 A. Burgess Poute 63:
But yoo kan help the Shillfa and his hen The Muffy-why-baerd — yellow yout — and wren.

II. v. In ppl.adjs. muffed, muf't, muffi'd, of a domestic fowl: having a crest or tuft of feathers at the head or round the neck or legs. Hence muftie, -y, adj., id.; n., a fowl of a muffed breed; a species of large hairy moth used by anglers as bait (Ayr. 1958). See I. 2; muftin, the whitethroat, Sylvia communis (Lnk. 1845 Stat. Acc.² VI. 358).Sc. 1742–3 J. Cockburn Letters (S.H.S.) 87:
You tell me you have set one hen for my Wife, and you say she has three fine muf't and top'd hens.s.Sc. 1809 T. Donaldson Poems 40:
My Hen she was a shining Brown, Wi Muffi'd head.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch xix.:
Our seven hens — two of them tappit and one muffed.Sc. 1829 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1885) II. 252:
“An' what'n a cleckin she's gotten!” . . . “Yes, James, Lancashire Ladylegs.” “Mufties too, I declare; — are they ggem?”Sc. 1847 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 289:
A mufty tufty bantam cock.