1708. Mrs. Centlivre, The Busy-Body, iii., 4. Impossible, without
he huffs the lady, and makes love to Sir Francis.
1835. Marryat, Jacob Faithful, ch. xliii. Upon this she huffs
outright, and tells Tom he may go about his business, for she
didn’t care if she never sees him no more.
1839. W. H. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard, p. 133 (Ed. 1840). If they
do, now and then, run away with a knocker, paint a sign, beat the
watch, or huff a magistrate.
Intj. (obsolete).—See quots. Also Huffa and Huffa-gallant. [Probably
the oldest form of the word.]
c. 1510. Rastell, Four Elements (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875,
i., 20). With huffa gallant, tirl on the berry, And let the wide
world wind.
c. 152(?). Hick Scorner (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, i.,
188). Huff! huff! huff! who sent after me.
d. 1529. Skelton, Poems, ‘Against Garnesche’ (Dyce, i., 118, and
note ii., 181–2). Huf a galante, Garneysche, loke on your comely
ars.
To stand the huff, verb. phr. (old).—To stand the reckoning.—Lex. Bal.
Also Huffy = easily offended; Huffed = annoyed; Huffily = testily; in a
tantrum.
1825. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, bk. II., ch. 15. A leetle on the huffy
order, I guess! Aint you?
1852. H. B. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, ch. xvi. I ... actually was
so cruel as to restrict him to one dozen of my cambric
handkerchiefs. Dolph was particularly huffy about it, and I had to
talk to him like a father to bring him round.
1853. Lytton, My Novel, bk. I., ch. ix. Though the Squire was
inclined to be very friendly to all his neighbours, he was, like
most country gentlemen, rather easily huffed.
1873. Miss Broughton, Nancy, ch. xxxvi. ‘I have no doubt you
would!’ say I, turning sharply and huffily away.
1875. Ouida, Signa, vol. II., ch. xx., p. 324. ‘She is a stupid
little mule,’ thought the old woman, angrily. ‘She feels nothing,
she sees no greatness in it all—she is only good to grub amongst
her cabbages.’ And she went away huffed.
1885. T. E. Brown, The Doctor, p. 31. huffed is he, eh? And who
regards him?
Huff-cap (or Huff), subs. (Old Cant: still in use at Winchester
College).—1. Strong ale. [‘From inducing people to set their caps in a
bold and huffing style.’—Nares.]
1579. Fulwell, Art of Flattery. Commonly called Hufcap, it will
make a man look as though he had seene the devil.
1586. Holinshed, Description of England. These men hale at Huff-cap
till they be red as cockes and little wiser than their combes.
1602. Campion, English Poesy (Bullen, Works, 1889, p. 247). Hunks
detests when huffcap ale he tipples.
1614. Greene, Looking-Glass [Dyce], p. 127. The ale is strong ale,
’tis hufcap; I warrant you, ’twill make a man well.
1630. Taylor, Wks. And this is it, of ale-houses and innes,
Wine-marchants vintners, brewers, who much wins By others losing, I
say more or lesse, Who sale of hufcap liquor doe professe.
1870. Mansfield, School Life, p. 180. Washed down by libations of
Huff.
1878. Adams, Wykehamica, s.v. Huff, the strong ale brewed by the
College.