Chuffed

[david hughes]

Victor,

 

It definitely means he wasn't happy. 

 

The late section you quote refers to the fact that Rooney has previous form for getting upset when substituted. Since he didn't throw a tantrum or a wobbly at his substitution this time, he was unhappy (he looked more surprised than unhappy to me) but did become angry and kick the dug-out.
 
> Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:13:45 -0400
> From: aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM
> Subject: Chuffed
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> 
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Chuffed
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> From a live webcast of the England-Slovenia, I was attracted by one
> comment:
> 
> > Joe Cole gets a roar as he comes on but it is Rooney who is making
> > way. He doesn't look chuffed.
> 
> Checking OED, there are two verbs "chuff", neither appropriate, but also
> an entry for "chuffed":
> 
> > slang (orig. Mil.).
> >
> > a. Pleased, satisfied. b. Displeased, disgruntled.
> > a. 1957 P. WILDEBLOOD Main Chance ix. 163 Aren't you pleased? There's
> > not many kids of your age what owns a factory. You ought to be dead
> > chuffed about it. 1960 A. WAUGH Foxglove Saga xii. 218 He was chuffed
> > at this new monumental skive he had discovered. 1961 S. PRICE Just for
> > Record iv. 29 My beard is black, all-black. That makes me pretty
> > chuffed. 1967 Crescendo May 6 (Advt.), I cannot express too much just
> > how ‘chuffed’ I am with the drums.
> > b. 1960 D. STOREY This Sporting Life I. ii. 59, I felt pretty chuffed
> > with myself. 1964 C. DALE Other People viii. 158 Don't let on they're
> > after you, see, or she'll be dead chuffed, see? She don' like the law.
> 
> The trouble is, of course, that it's impossible to tell from the context
> whether (a) or (b) is implied by the commentator, or even if the meaning
> matches one of these at all. To add to the confusion,
> 
> > chuff, a.1
> > Obs. exc. dial.
> >
> > 1. Swollen or puffed out with fat; chubby.
> > 1609 HOLLAND Amm. Marcell. XXXI. ii. 399 By reason of their fat
> > chuffe-necks they are monstrously deformed. 1688 R. HOLME Armoury II.
> > 427/1 Chuffe, or puff Cheeks, or blob Cheeks [are] great and swelling
> > out. 1821 CLARE Vill. Minstr. II. 27 His chuff cheeks dimpling in a
> > fondling smile. 1880 W. Cornwall Gloss. (E.D.S.) 1887 Kentish Gloss.
> > (E.D.S.) Chuff, fat, chubby.
> >
> > 2. Pleased, satisfied, happy. dial.
> > c1860 in Northampton Dial., I saw the old man and he looked as chuff
> > as ever, although he is between 80 and 90. 1876 Mid-Yorksh. Gloss.
> > (E.D.S.) Chuff, expressive of a state of hilarious satisfaction,
> > whether outwardly exhibited or not..‘As chuff as a cheese’, ‘As chuff
> > as an apple’. 1881 Leicestersh. Gloss. (E.D.S.) Chuff, pleased,
> > delighted, proud, conceited. ‘The children's quite chuff to come.’
> > 1888 Sheffield Gloss. (E.D.S.) Chuff, proud, pleased. ‘Thar rare an'
> > chuff o' that dog o' thoine.’
> 
> and,
> 
> > chuff, a.2
> > Obs. exc. dial.
> >
> > Surly, churlish; gruff, stern, morose.
> > 1832 G. DOWNES Lett. Cont. Countries I. 289 Like a British
> > sea-captain, rough, chuff, and headstrong,{em}but withal fair and
> > honourable. a1859 L. HUNT Robin Hood Poet. Wks. (1860) 149 Pure
> > venison and good ale or wine, Except when luck was chuff. 1864 E.
> > CAPERN Devon Provinc., Chuff, churlish, surly. 1880 W. Cornwall
> > Gloss., Chuff, sullen, sulky. 1887 Kentish Dial., Choff, stern,
> > morose. 1888 ELWORTHY W. Somerset Wordbk., Chuff, surly in manner,
> > boorish, brusque, stiff and unbending.
> 
> So Rooney might have been "gruntled" or disgruntled and the commentator
> is negating the opposite, whichever it is.
> 
> A bit further in the "live" commentary it does become more clear:
> 
> > No tantrum from Rooney though and he was limping earlier. Cole will
> > play off Defoe.
> 
> So the meaning was that Rooney did not look annoyed. Glad it was cleared
> up ;-)
> 
> VS-)
> 
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