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Whiff-whaff

//ˈwɪfˌwæf// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Table tennis. archaic, uncountable

    "Boris Johnson's claim ping-pong was originally a Victorian English invention called whiff-whaff has been attacked by the descendants of the world's oldest sporting and games manufacturer."

  2. 2
    The breathy sound of something rushing quickly; whoosh.

    "Then, no one saw precisely how it happened, whiff-whaff, Lemoine's weapon flew from his hand and struck the wall with a whirr and a jangle."

  3. 3
    Nonsense, words or deeds of little import. obsolete, uncountable

    "Whau, aw'll begin o' thisn' then. It's whiff-whaff Stuart, -- snifterin' Finch yo'known Virtue has laft o' -- truth is fro' o'flown!"

  4. 4
    Unnecessary items or additions. uncountable

    "Never, never, wear any kind of a whiff-whaff or a thing-ama-bob on your hat."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Whiff-Waff, coined by Slazenger & Sons in 1900.

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeia

Etymology 3

South Lancashire dialect for nonsense, unspecified words or deeds.

See also for "whiff-whaff"

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