taffy
[taf-ee]
- a chewy candy made of sugar or molasses boiled down, often with butter, nuts, etc.
- Informal. flattery.
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Also toffee, toffy.
Origin of taffy
First recorded in 1810–20; variant of toffee
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for taffy
Contemporary Examples
I made a painting of the scene with Katy licking an ice cream cone in a taffy forest.
Taffy Brodesser-Akner has written for the Los Angeles Times, Salon, and Self, among other publications.
Taffy Brodesser-Akner, a devotee of 90210, Gossip Girl, and One Tree Hill, searches for answers.
Taffy Brodesser-Akner has written for the Los Angeles Times, Salon, and Babble, among other publications.
Erin Wasson speaks with a slow, gravelly drawl, chewing on her words like sticky pieces of taffy.
Historical Examples
This is the test that is made for taffy and other hard candies.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 5Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
Taffy was the name of this fellow from Denbigh, in Wales, and he was a drover.
Welsh Fairy TalesWilliam Elliott Griffis
Taffy was not used to such toil, and his muscles were soon weary.
Welsh Fairy TalesWilliam Elliott Griffis
By this time, Taffy was so eager for treasure, that he spoke up at once.
Welsh Fairy TalesWilliam Elliott Griffis
There, in the faint, red light, Taffy discerned a great cave.
Welsh Fairy TalesWilliam Elliott Griffis
taffy
- US and Canadian a chewy sweet made of brown sugar or molasses and butter, boiled and then pulled so that it becomes glossy
- mainly US and Canadian a less common term for toffee
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Word Origin
C19: perhaps from tafia
Taffy
- a slang word or nickname for a Welshman
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Word Origin
C17: from the supposed Welsh pronunciation of Davy (from David, Welsh Dafydd), a common Welsh Christian name
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for taffy
n.
candy made from sugar or molasses, 1817, related to toffee, but of uncertain origin; perhaps associated with tafia (1763), a rum-like alcoholic liquor distilled from molasses, presumably of W.Indian or Malay origin (perhaps a Creole shortening of ratafia). On this theory, the candy would have been made from the syrup skimmed off the liquor during distillation.
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Taffy
characteristic name of a Welshman, c.1700, from Teifi, Welsh corruption of David (q.v.).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper