daffing

American  

[daf-ing] / ˈdæf ɪŋ /

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. silliness; playful behavior; merriment;

2. Archaic. insanity.

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Etymology

Origin of daffing

First recorded in 1525–35; daff ¹ + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

To his humour of daffing I succumbed, and fell into an extraordinary ease with the world.

From A Daughter of Raasay A Tale of the '45 by Travis, Stuart

And then will come dancing and daffing, And reelin' and crossin' o' han's, Till even auld Lucky is laughing, As back by the aumry she stan's.

From The Modern Scottish Minstrel, Volume I. The Songs of Scotland of the past half century by Rogers, Charles

It was just daffing, I tell ye: daffing, and nae mair: a piece of fun, like! 

From Lay Morals by Stevenson, Robert Louis

This was the more characteristic, as, for all his daffing, he was a modest and very polite little fellow among ourselves.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 2 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis

When his lordship was in his study, our daffing was in Gaelic, for her ladyship, though a Morton, and only learning the language, loved to have it spoken about her.

From John Splendid The Tale of a Poor Gentleman, and the Little Wars of Lorn by Munro, Neil