Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

NIFFLE, v. Also reduplic. form nif-niffle. To trifle, to act or speak in a trifling manner (Fif. 1808 Jam.). Ppl.adj. nifflin, trifling, piffling. Also in Eng. dial.Fif. 1808 Jam.:
He's a nifflin' body.Edb. 1938 J. F. Fergus Fancies 139:
Alane I'd hae to fecht A fish o' sic a strength an' wecht. On sic a nifflin', skimpy line.

[Eng. has nifle, a trifle, c.1386, nifling, trifling, 1649, conjectured to be a corruption of Lat. nihil, nothing, but the Sc. word may be of independent imit. orig. Cf. naffle s.v. Nyaff, v., 5. and Niff-naff.]

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Niffle v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 2 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/niffle>

19413

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: