Huey, subs. (Old Cant).—A town or village.
1851-61. H. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, vol. I., p. 231. 'Where do you stall to in the huey?' which, fairly translated, means, 'Where do you lodge in the town ?'
Huff, subs. (colloquial).—1. An outburst of temper; peevishness; offence at some real or imaginary wrong or slight. Hence, to get (or take) the huff = to fly into a passion.
1599. H. Porter, Two Angry Women of Abingdon (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, vii., 311). And as thou say'st to me, to him I said, But in a greater huff and hotter blood.
1676. Etherege, Man of Mode., Wks. (1704), i., 190. Tax her with the next fop that comes Into my head, and in a huff march away.
1688. Shadwell, Sq. of Alsatia, Wks. (1720), iv., 63. If you were not the brother to my dearest friend, I know what my honour would prompt me to [walks in a huff].
1700. Farquhar, Constant Couple, ii., 2. I offer'd her fifty guineas, and she was in her airs presently, and flew away in a huff.
1705-7. Ward, Hudibras Redivivus, vol. II., pt. iv., p. 26. I pay'd three Shillings, in a Huff, For my half Pint of liquid Stuff.
1759-67. Sterne, Tristram Shandy, ch. xxix. He left off the study of projectiles in a kind of huff, and betook himself to the practical part of fortification only. Idem. ch. c. Can I? cried Susannah, shutting the door in a huff.
1769. Chatterton, Poems, 'Journal' (Chalmers, English Poets, 1810, xv., 495). 'Sir,' quoth the Rector in a huff.
1777. Sheridan, Trip to Scarborough, i., 1. The lady not condescending to give me any serious reasons for having fooled me for a month, I left her in a huff.
1825. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, bk. II., ch. 16. What a huff you're at! I only axed a question.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, ch. xx. He is as proud as Lucifer, he is always taking huff about one thing or the other.
1855. Browning, Men and Women' 'Fra Lippo Lippi' (Ed. 1864, p. 357). You'll not mistake an idle word Spoke in a huff by a poor monk?
1885. T. E. Brown, The Doctor, p. 30. Already my goodness! he's taking the huff.
1892. Anstey, Model Music-Hall, 37. Some parties in a huff rage At the plea for Female Suffrage.
2. (old).—A bully; a Hector (q.v.); a sharper. Also Captain Huff.
1569. Preston, Cambises (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, iv., 177). [Enter three ruffians, huff, Ruff, and Snuff.]
1680. Cotton, Complete Gamester, p. 333. Huffs, hectors, setters, gilts pads, biters, etc.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant Crew, s.v.
1693. Congreve, Old Bachelor, iv., 9. Good, slovenly Captain Huff, Bluffe (what is your hideous name?).
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
3. (common).—A dodge; a trick.
4. (draughts').—A term in the game of draughts; the penalty for not taking a piece.
5. (Winchester College).—See Huff-cap.
Verb, (colloquial).—I. To bluster; to bounce; to swagger.
1607. How a Man May Choose a Good Wife, etc., iv., 3 (Dodsley, Old Plays. 4th ed., 1875, ix., 78). A Huffing-wench i' faith.
1630. Taylor, Workes. The smell is the senting bawd, that huffs and snuffs up and downe, and hath the game alwayes in the winde. Ibid. One asked a huffing gallant why hee had not a looking-glasse in his chamber; he answered, he durst not, because hee was often angry, and then he look'd so terribly that he was fearefull to looke upon himselfe.
d. 1631. Donne, Satires, iv. (Chalmers, English Poets, 1810, v., 158). To th' huffing, braggart, puffed nobility
