1708. Mrs. Centlivre, The Busy-Body, iii., 4. Impossible, without he huffs the lady, and makes love to Sir Francis.
1835. Marryat, Jacob Faithful, ch. xliii. Upon this she huffs outright, and tells Tom he may go about his business, for she didn’t care if she never sees him no more.
1839. W. H. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard, p. 133 (Ed. 1840). If they do, now and then, run away with a knocker, paint a sign, beat the watch, or huff a magistrate.
Intj. (obsolete).—See quots. Also Huffa and Huffa-gallant. [Probably the oldest form of the word.]
c. 1510. Rastell, Four Elements (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, i., 20). With huffa gallant, tirl on the berry, And let the wide world wind.
c. 152(?). Hick Scorner (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, i., 188). Huff! huff! huff! who sent after me.
d. 1529. Skelton, Poems, ‘Against Garnesche’ (Dyce, i., 118, and note ii., 181–2). Huf a galante, Garneysche, loke on your comely ars.
To stand the huff, verb. phr. (old).—To stand the reckoning.—Lex. Bal.
Also Huffy = easily offended; Huffed = annoyed; Huffily = testily; in a tantrum. [[373]]
1825. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, bk. II., ch. 15. A leetle on the huffy order, I guess! Aint you?