daff
Definition
Noun (Archaic):
- A simpleton or fool: "daff" refers to a person who is foolish or lacking in intelligence.
- A playful or silly act: In some older usage, "daff" can denote a piece of foolish behaviour or a jest.
Verb (Archaic):
- To put aside or dismiss: "daff" means to push away, discard, or reject something, often with a sense of contempt or disregard.
- To play or fool around: To act in a silly or frivolous manner.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- He was considered a daff by the villagers for his strange antics. (He was thought to be a fool.)
- The court jester's daff amused the king for a moment. (The jester's silly act entertained the king.)
Verb:
- She daffed the unwanted gifts aside without a word. (She dismissed the gifts with contempt.)
- The children daffed about in the meadow, carefree and happy. (They played around in a silly way.)
Advanced Usage
"to daff one's cares": to set aside one's worries or concerns.
- He daffed his cares and joined the festivities. (He dismissed his worries and participated in the celebration.)
"daffing" (gerund): the act of playing or acting foolishly.
- Their daffing in the hall disrupted the meeting. (Their foolish behaviour interrupted the meeting.)
Variants and Related Words
Daffish (adj): somewhat foolish or silly.
- His daffish grin made everyone laugh. (His silly grin amused everyone.)
Daffery (n): foolish behaviour or nonsense.
- The daffery of the clowns was the highlight of the circus. (The foolish antics of the clowns were the best part.)
Synonyms
- Fool: a person lacking good judgment.
- Dolt: a stupid person.
- Dismiss: to reject or put away (for the verb sense).
- Trifle: to act without seriousness (for the verb sense).
Phrasal Verbs
Daff away: to push aside or discard.
- He daffed away the accusations without concern. (He dismissed the accusations.)
Daff off: to delay or put off.
- She daffed off her duties until the last minute. (She procrastinated on her responsibilities.)
Related Idioms
To daff the world aside: to ignore or reject worldly concerns.
- The hermit daffed the world aside and lived in solitude. (He rejected society and lived alone.)
To play the daff: to act like a fool on purpose.
- In the comedy, he played the daff to make the audience laugh. (He acted foolishly for comic effect.)