"spiffy" and "spiffing"

[Jonathan Lighter]

HDAS files reveal very limited use of _spiffing_ in the U.S. long ago:

1928 Edward Dahlberg _Bottom Dogs_ (N.Y.: Putnam, 1930) 270: Pett turned
around to look at a spiffin'-looking jane.

JL

On Fri, Jan 29, 2010 at 4:28 PM, Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at bellsouth.net>wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at BELLSOUTH.NET>
> Subject:      Re: "spiffy" and "spiffing"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Spiffy" is, inter alia, the brand name (or maybe former brand name, now)
> of
> a type of wire stay, used to keep collar points of military shirts properly
> turned down.
>
> And, to me, born 1941, lived all over, reared in VA, a very common
> adjective
> for looking neat, clean, well dressed.
>
> I have never hear "spiff" without "up"...as in "You'd better spiff up your
> room, if you want to go out tonite"
>
>
> Bill Palmer
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Judy Prince" <jbalizsprince at GOOGLEMAIL.COM>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 3:46 PM
> Subject: "spiffy" and "spiffing"
>
>
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> > header -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Judy Prince <jbalizsprince at GOOGLEMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      "spiffy" and "spiffing"
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Robin (a Scot living in England) has read in (usually) novels about
> > English
> > schools, the word "spiffing".
> >
> > I, a USAmerican, have never read or heard "spiffing", but have often
> > read/heard/said "spiffy".
> >
> > Robin says that "spiffing" is definitely literary.  He has never heard it
> > spoken, but has read it in novels for adolescent girls and boys, school
> > stories.
> >
> > My experience with "spiffy" is that it was said by my parents, and is
> said
> > by me and my contemporaries [born in the 1940s].
> >
> > Any examples, theories, histories from listmembers?
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > Judy
> >
> > --
> > Frisky Moll Press:  http://judithprince.com/home.html
> >
> > "I can't read my library card."  ---Jeff Hecker, Norfolk, VA
> >
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