Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Guff
My father often said to me, "Don't give me any guff" or "Don't give me any of your guff." There is no entry for guff in the American College Dictionary (New York: Random House, 1962), but see the Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. guff, n.2, sense 2:
Related post: Lines on the Jordan.
‹Older
slang (originally U.S.). Trivial, foolish, or empty words; nonsense, blather.Thanks to Dave Lull for the link to Green’s Dictionary of Slang. Guff: 2. Insolence — that's how I always understood the word, as a synonym for backtalk, and Dave agrees from his experience.
Related post: Lines on the Jordan.
