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Origin and history of cuff

cuff(n.)

"bottom of a sleeve," mid-14c., cuffe "hand covering, mitten, glove," perhaps from Medieval Latin cuffia, cuphia "head covering," which is of uncertain origin, perhaps ultimately from Greek.

Sense of "band around the sleeve" is first attested 1520s; sense of "turned-up hem of trousers" is by 1896. Meaning "a fetter for the wrist" is from 1660s. Adverbial phrase off the cuff "extemporaneously" is attested by 1938, American English colloquial, suggesting an actor or speaker reading from notes jotted on his shirt sleeves rather than reciting learned lines. Cuff-links (also cufflinks) is from 1887.

cuff(v.1)

"to put a cuff on," 1690s, from cuff (n.). Related: Cuffed; cuffing.

cuff(v.2)

"to strike with or as with the open hand," 1520s, of unknown origin, perhaps from Swedish kuffa "to thrust, push." Related: Cuffed; cuffing. As a noun, "a blow with the open hand," from 1560s.

also from 1520s

Entries linking to cuff

fisticuffs(n.)

c. 1600, fisty cuffes, from fist (n.) + cuff (n.) "a blow" (see cuff (v.2)), with the form perhaps in imitation of handiwork. Related: Fisticuff.

handcuff(n.)

1640s as a decorative addition to a sleeve; 1690s as a type of restraining device, from hand (n.) + cuff (n.) in the "fetter for the wrist" sense (attested from 1660s). Old English had hondcops "a pair of hand cuffs," but the modern word is a re-invention. Related: Handcuffs. The verb is first attested 1720. Related: Handcuffed; handcuffing.

scuff(v.)

1768, "to walk (through or over something) without raising the feet," originally Scottish, a word "Of uncertain and possibly mixed origin" [OED], probably from a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse skufa, skyfa "to shove, push aside" (from Proto-Germanic *skubanan, from PIE *skeubh- "to shove;" see shove (v.)).

The meaning "injure the surface of by hard usage or grazing with something rough" is by 1879. Related: Scuffed; scuffing. As a noun, "a slight, glancing blow," by 1824. Compare cuff (v.2).

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    Trends of cuff

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

    More to explore

    manacle
    mid-14c., manicle, "an iron fetter for the hand" (usually in plural), from Old French manicle "manacles, handcuffs; bracelet; armor for the hands," from Latin manicula "handle," literally "little hand," diminutive of manicae "long sleeves of a tunic, gloves; armlets, gauntlets; h
    coup
    French coup, colp "a blow, strike" (12c.), from Medieval Latin colpus, from Vulgar Latin *colapus, from Latin colaphus "a cuff...
    off
    Off the cuff "extemporaneously, without preparation" (1938) is from the notion of speaking from notes written in haste on...
    ram
    Old English ramm "male sheep," also "battering ram, instrument for crushing or driving by impact," and the zodiac sign; earlier rom "male sheep," a West Germanic word (cognates: Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, Dutch, Old High German ram), of unknown origin. Perhaps [Klein] conne
    mar
    Middle English merren "to deface, disfigure; impair in form or substance" (early 13c.), from Old English merran (Anglian), mierran (West Saxon) "to waste, spoil," from Proto-Germanic *marzjan (source also of Old Frisian meria, Old High German marren "to hinder, obstruct," Gothic
    arm
    [upper limb of the human body], Middle English arm, from Old English earm, from Proto-Germanic *armaz (source also of Old Saxon, Danish, Swedish, Middle Dutch, German arm, Old Norse armr, Old Frisian erm), from PIE root *ar- "to fit together" (source also of Sanskrit irmah "arm,"
    shackle
    kind of fetter, especially for the wrist or ankle of a prisoner, Middle English shakel, from Old English sceacel, sceacul "shackle, fetter," probably also in a general sense "a link or ring of a chain," from Proto-Germanic *skakula- (source also of Middle Dutch, Dutch schakel "li
    hamper
    late 14c., hampren "surround, imprison, confine; pack in a container; impede in motion or progress," of uncertain origin; probably from hamper (n.1), unless it is somehow connected to Middle English hamelian "to maim." Related: Hampered; hampering...."large basket," early 14c., h
    lap
    Old English læppa (plural læppan) "skirt or flap of a garment," from Proto-Germanic *lapp- (source also of Old Frisian lappa, Old Saxon lappo, Middle Dutch lappe, Dutch lap, Old High German lappa, German Lappen "rag, shred," Old Norse leppr "patch, rag"), of uncertain origin. Sen

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    Dictionary entries near cuff
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