chuffed

chuffed
chuffed
has the general colloquial meaning ‘pleased, delighted’:

• You were pleased at the time. Chuffed in fact. —Paul Scott, 1977.

In some local uses in the UK the word also means the exact opposite, ‘displeased, disgruntled’:

• Don't let on they're after you, see, or she'll be dead chuffed, see? —C. Dale, 1964.

The explanation seems to be that the two meanings reflect different uses of the dialect word chuff, which means ‘proud, conceited’ in some parts of the country and ‘ill-tempered, surly’ in others.

Modern English usage. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • chuffed — [tʃʌft] adj [not before noun] BrE informal [Date: 1900 2000; Origin: Northern English dialect chuff round and fat, happy ] very pleased or happy ▪ He s really chuffed about passing the exam …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • chuffed — [ tʃʌft ] adjective BRITISH INFORMAL very pleased about something …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • chuffed — ► ADJECTIVE Brit. informal ▪ delighted. ORIGIN from dialect chuff «plump or pleased» …   English terms dictionary

  • chuffed — [chuft] adj. [Brit. Informal] Brit. Informal 1. pleased, delighted, gratified, etc. 2. disgruntled, displeased, unhappy, etc …   English World dictionary

  • chuffed — adj British delighted, pleased. The word s meaning stretches from flattered to excited. It probably originates in northern English dialect (meaning puffed up and proud) and is still most frequently heard in the North and Midlands. Embellished… …   Contemporary slang

  • chuffed — [[t]tʃʌ̱ft[/t]] ADJ GRADED: v link ADJ, oft ADJ about/with n, ADJ to inf, ADJ that If you are chuffed about something, you are very pleased about it. [BRIT, INFORMAL] She had just moved into a new house and was pretty chuffed about that... I m… …   English dictionary

  • chuffed — Adj. Pleased, delighted. Compare with dischuffed and chuffed to buggery . E.g. I m well chuffed at the result. 1950s …   English slang and colloquialisms

  • chuffed — I Kiwi (New Zealand Slang) pleased; as in he was dead chuffed II Scottish Vernacular Dictionary Pleased (usually with oneself.) See dischuffed III Yorkshire Dialect Pleased with oneself …   English dialects glossary

  • chuffed — pleased; as in he was dead chuffed …   Kiwi (New Zealand slang)

  • Chuffed — You would be chuffed to bits if you were really pleased about something …   The American's guide to speaking British

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