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Stiff vs Tiff - What's the difference?

stiff | tiff |

As nouns the difference between stiff and tiff

is that stiff is an average person, usually male, of no particular distinction, skill, or education, often a working stiff or lucky stiff while tiff is a small argument; a petty quarrel.

As verbs the difference between stiff and tiff

is that stiff is to fail to pay that which one owes (implicitly or explicitly) to another, especially by departing hastily while tiff is to quarrel.

As an adjective stiff

is of an object, rigid, hard to bend, inflexible.

As an acronym TIFF is

tagged image file format.

As a proper noun Tiff is

a nickname for Tiffany.

stiff

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Of an object, rigid, hard to bend, inflexible.
  • *
  • *:“A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron;. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff , retroussé moustache.
  • (lb) Of policies and rules and their application and enforcement, inflexible.
  • Of a person, formal in behavior, unrelaxed.
  • (lb) Harsh, severe.
  • :
  • Of muscles, or parts of the body, painful, as a result of excessive, or unaccustomed exercise.
  • :
  • Potent.
  • :
  • Dead, deceased.
  • Of a penis, erect.
  • Derived terms

    * stiffy

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An average person, usually male, of no particular distinction, skill, or education, often a working stiff''''' or ''lucky '''stiff .
  • A Working Stiff' s Manifesto: A Memoir of Thirty Jobs I Quit, Nine That Fired Me, and Three I Can't Remember was published in 2003.
  • A person who is deceived, as a mark or pigeon in a swindle.
  • She convinced the stiff to go to her hotel room, where her henchman was waiting to rob him.
  • (slang) A cadaver, a dead person.
  • (US) A person who leaves (especially a restaurant) without paying the bill.
  • Any hard hand where it is possible to exceed 21 by drawing an additional card.
  • See also

    * bindlestiff * See also ,

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To fail to pay that which one owes (implicitly or explicitly) to another, especially by departing hastily.
  • Realizing he had forgotten his wallet, he stiffed the taxi driver when the cab stopped for a red light.
  • * 1946 , William Foote Whyte, Industry and Society , page 129
  • We asked one girl to explain how she felt when she was "stiffed ." She said, You think of all the work you've done and how you've tried to please [them…].
  • * 1992 , Stephen Birmingham, Shades of Fortune , page 451
  • You see, poor Nonie really was stiffed' by Adolph in his will. He really ' stiffed her , Rose, and I really wanted to right that wrong.
  • * 2007 , Mary Higgins Clark, I Heard That Song Before , page 154
  • Then he stiffed the waiter with a cheap tip.

    Anagrams

    *

    tiff

    English

    Etymology 1

    Originally, a sniff, sniffing; compare Icelandic word for a smell.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small argument; a petty quarrel.
  • * 1840 , William Makepeace Thackeray, Catherine: A Story
  • There’s Tom, now, since this tiff with Mrs. Cat, the scoundrel plays the Grand Turk here!
  • Liquor; especially, a small draught of liquor.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
  • sipping his tiff of brandy punch.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To quarrel.
  • * Landor
  • She tiffed with Tim, she ran from Ralph.
    Synonyms
    * See also

    Etymology 2

    Middle English tiffen, (etyl) tiffer, (tifer), to bedizen; compare D. (tippen) to clip the points or ends of the hair, English tip (noun).

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To deck out; to dress.
  • (Webster 1913)