to "niff"

[Mark Mandel]

And the intransitive sense is cited back to 1900 --

*1900* J. S. FARMER<http://proxy.library.upenn.edu:2158/help/bib/oed2-f.html#j-s-farmer>
*Public School Word-bk.* 139 *Niff*, verb (Derby), to smell. *1927* W. E. C
OLLINSON<http://proxy.library.upenn.edu:2158/help/bib/oed2-c3.html#w-e-collinson>
*Contemp. Eng.* 23 Things didn't smell, but ponged, niffed or hummed. **

-- and "niffy" 'stinky, malodorous' (which is the one I'd read) to the same
epoch:

*a1903* *Eng. Dial. Dict.* (1903) IV. 267/2 [Sussex] *Niffy* [odorous].

m a m


On 9/6/07, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Latest OED online has this British v. as "to sniff" from 1952. Here's one
> considerably earlier:
>
>   1930 C. R. Benstead _Retreat_ (N.Y.: Century) 124 [ref. to 1918]: Like
> an ol' bull when e' [sic] niffs a bit o' cow.
>
>   JL
>
>
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