taffrail (tafral)

[An altered form, simulating raill, of tafferel.] Same as tafferel; now, as commonly understood (from confusion with the word raill ), the rail acro the stern of a ve el. A ball of blue flame pitched upon the knight heads, and then came bounding and dancing aft to the taffrail . Marryat , Snarleyyow, I. v. IMG:content-2768.png:[merged small][merged small][graphic] Toffee disappears in favour of taffy. Great American Language, Corn hill Mag., N. S., No. 64, [p. 366. There was the day the steward made almond - taffy , or toffee , as Ortho doc i a had been brought up to pronounce it. S. J. Duncan , A Social Departure, vii. Hence-2. Crude compliment or flattery; cajolery; blarney; soft soap. [Slang, U. S.] There will be a reaction, and the whole party will unite in an offering of taffy . New York Tribune , Sept. 16, 1879. taffyl (taf'i), v. t.; pret. and pp. taffied , ppr. taffying. [ taffy1 , n.] To give taffy to; prevail upon by means of flattery: as, he was taffied into yielding. [Slang, U. S.] Taffy2 (taf'i), n.; pl. taffies (-iz). [A Welsh pron. of Davy, a familiar form of David, which is a common name among the Welsh.) A Welsh man.