What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Chiff vs Quiff - What's the difference?

chiff | quiff |

As nouns the difference between chiff and quiff

is that chiff is (music) the characteristic sound made as part of the attack of certain notes on the organ while quiff is a puff or whiff, especially of tobacco smoke or quiff can be (regional|slang) a trick or ploy; a stratagem or quiff can be a hairstyle whereby the forelock is brushed and/or gelled upward, often associated with the styles of the 1950s or quiff can be (slang) a young girl, especially as promiscuous; a prostitute.

As a verb quiff is

to arrange (the hair) in such a manner.

chiff

English

Noun

(-)
  • (music) The characteristic sound made as part of the attack of certain notes on the organ.
  • *1998 , Fletcher, N.H. and Rossing, T.D, The Physics of Musical Instruments , Springer Science & Business Media, page 570
  • *:In all these adjustments, the voicer must have regard to the steady sound of the pipe, to its promptness of speech, and to the presence or absence of any desired starting transient or chiff .

    • quiff

    English

    Etymology 1

    Variant form of (whiff).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A puff or whiff, especially of tobacco smoke.

    • Etymology 2

    Origin unknown.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (regional, slang) A trick or ploy; a stratagem.
  • *1933 , (John Masefield), The Bird of Dawning :
  • *:It was young Mr. Abbott worked that quiff on you, sir.

    • Etymology 3

    Origin uncertain; perhaps a variant of (coif).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A hairstyle whereby the forelock is brushed and/or gelled upward, often associated with the styles of the 1950s.
  • *2012 , Tom Lamont, The Observer , 2 Sep 2012:
  • *:His woolly brown hair shaped into a drooping quiff , he's been sitting poolside all morning, snatching sucks on cigarettes before the waiters can tell him no, and thinking about reworking some incidental music for the band's gig tomorrow.

    • Verb

  • To arrange (the hair) in such a manner.

    • Etymology 4

    Probably variant of .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (slang) A young girl, especially as promiscuous; a prostitute.
  • *1949 , (w, John O'Hara), Rage to Live :
  • *:How would I get an African toothache when the closest I been to a quiff in over a month is sitting next to one?
  • (slang) The vulva or vagina.
  • *2000 , (JG Ballard), Super-Cannes , Fourth Estate 2011, p. 120:
  • *:Jane was drying herself in the bedroom, holding the bath towel behind her shoulders, her small breasts and childlike nipples flushed from the power jet, her quiff a barely visible thread.