gaffs

Noun (1)

gaff (plural gaffs)

1. A tool consisting of a large metal hook with a handle or pole, especially the one used to pull large fish aboard a boat.
   • When Leonard finally hauls up a cod of seventy-five centimeters, probably seven years old, a typical catch ten years ago, they all joke, "Oh my God, get the gaff!"1997, Mark Kurlansky, Cod: a Biography of the Fish That Changed the World

   Synonyms:

   hakapik

2. A minor error or faux pas, a gaffe.
   • We politely ignored his gaff.
3. A trick or con.
   • The sideshow feat was just a gaff, but the audience was too proud to admit they'd been fooled.
4. The upper spar used to control a gaff-rigged sail.
5. A type of tight, panty-like underwear worn to hold the penis and testicles tucked backwards and make one's genital region look smooth, as if one had a vulva.
   • This may sound strange to readers who know little about nudes but many female impersonators, or femme-mimics, work au naturel—except for a gaff, a bra, body makeup, jewelry, and a wig (on their head). See! Semi-nude!!1964, Kenneth Marlowe, Mr. Madam: Confessions of a Male Madam, Los Angeles: Sherbourne Press, →LCCN, page 17

Noun (2)

gaff

1. Rough or harsh treatment; criticism.
   • "Numbers one, two, and five engines have broken down, sir," he called. "Shall we force the remaining three?" / "We can do nothing else," I bellowed into the transmitter. / "They won't stand the gaff, sir," he returned. / "Can you suggest a better plan?" I asked. / "No, sir," he replied. / "Then...1916, Edgar Rice Burrows, Beyond Thirty (aka The Lost Continent), HTML edition, The Gutenberg Project, published 2008

See all 15 meanings of gaff