See Apron-strings; Ride; Saint.
Tie-up, subs. phr. (colloquial).—An
obstruction; a blockade; a
closure: e.g., a strike, a blocked
bill, etc.
Tiff, subs. (old).—(1) Small beer;
swipes (q.v.). Hence (2) a
moderate draught: a tiff of
punch = (Grose) a small bowl of
punch. As verb = to drink:
tiffing = 'eating and drinking
out of meal time' (Grose). Also
tiffin (Anglo-Indian) = a meal
between breakfast and dinner.
1654. Witts Recreations. As the conduits ran With claret, at the coronation, So let your channels flow with single tiff.
1661. Brome, Songs, 165. That too shall quickly follow, if It can be rais'd from strong or tiffe.
1703. Philips, Splendid Shilling, 15. With scanty offals, and small acid tiff.
1751. Fielding, Amelia, viii. x. What say you to a glass of white wine, or a tiff of punch by way of whet?
1772. Graves, Spiritual Quixote, xi. xiv. Dr Slash . . . was smoaking his pipe over a tiff of punch.
1812. Coombe, Syntax, 1. v. He tiff'd his punch, and went to rest.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, i. iii. Sipping his tiff of brandy punch with great solemnity.
1847-8. Thackeray, Vanity Fair. iv. Let's have it for tiffin; very cool and nice this hot weather.
1884. Brassey, Voy. Sunbeam, ii. xxi. After a pleasant chat we proceeded to the Hongkong hotel for tiffin.
2. (colloquial).—A slight quarrel. Also as verb = (a) to have words, and (b) to go peevishly; whilst tiffy (or tiffish) = petulant; easily riled (q.v.); tiffing (Grose) = disputing or falling out.
1700. Congreve, Way of the World, ii. 4. Poor Mincing tift and tift all the morning.
1753. Richardson, Grandison, iv. 29. My lord and I have had another little—tiff, shall I call it? it came not up to a quarrel.
1777. Sheridan, School for Scandal, i. 2. We tifted a little going to church, and fairly quarrelled before the bells had done ringing.
18[?]. Landor, New Style. She tiff'd at Tim, she ran from Ralph.
1840. Thackeray, Shabby Genteel Story, i. There had been numerous tiffs and quarrels between mother and daughter.
1858. Nat. Review, vii. 395. In comparison with such words or gestures, George IV.'s quarrel with Brummel was an ordinary tiff.
3. (venery).—To copulate; see Ride (B. E. and Grose): cf. Tiffity-taffety girls.
Tiffity-taffetty Girl (or
Taffeta punk), subs. phr. (old).—A
courtesan. [Tiffany =
Epiphany: whence tiffany silk
= a silk for holiday wear: a
gauze-like material. Taffeta
also = a transparent silk. Hence
tiffity-taffety girl = one
who discloses almost as much as
she dissembles: cf. loose-bodied
gown; tiff, verb = to deck, to
array; and Tawdry.] Hence
tiffany (or taffety) = wanton,
soft, yielding.
1598. Shakspeare, All's Well, ii. 2. 22. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney, as your French crown for your taffeta punk.
1601. P. Holland, Plinie, xi. xxii. The invention of that fine silke, tiffanie, sarcenet, and cypres, which instead of apparell to cover and hide, shew women naked through them.
1647-8. Herrick, Nuptiall Song. Say . . . doe we not descrie Some Goddesse, in a cloud of Tiffanie . . . the Emergent Venus from the Sea?
1769-78. Tucker, Light of Nature, 1. i. 5. Her desire of tiffing out her mistress in a killing attire.
Tiger, subs. (colloquial).—A raff.
Tigrish = dissolute.
