Idioms

duff

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be up the duff

slang To be pregnant. You two have only been married for a couple of months, I can't believe you're up the duff already! Yeah, I was pretty wild during my university years—that's why I was up the duff at 22. If Kristin's up the duff, I can't imagine it was planned—she's never expressed an interest in having kids.
See also: duff, up

duff up

1. To physically assault someone; to beat someone up. A noun or pronoun can be used between "duff" and "up." Primarily heard in UK. Tom duffed up the drunken buffoon for making disparaging remarks about his sister. Two would-be muggers tried to rob a member of the Royal Marines, and he duffed them up right good. Hey, let's walk another way home. That shady group of guys could totally duff us up!
2. To defeat an opponent thoroughly and easily. A noun or pronoun can be used between "duff" and "up." Primarily heard in UK. We went into the game underprepared and unfocused, and our opponents rightfully duffed us up. You need to memorize your talking points, or you'll get duffed up in this debate. A: "I don't see us winning this game." B: "I know, I'm just hoping they don't duff us up!"
3. To bungle or ruin something; to mess something up. A noun or pronoun can be used between "duff" and "up." Primarily heard in UK. The boss said I would get the sack if I duffed up the reports again. Who duffed up these files? They aren't remotely in alphabetical order anymore! Sorry, I duffed up the math there. I owe you more money than that.
See also: duff, up

get off (one's) duff

slang To start doing something, especially after a period of unproductivity or laziness. "Duff" in this usage refers to the buttocks. Grandma will be here in 30 minutes, so get off your duff and move this junk out of the living room! Ted needs to get off his duff for a change and make an effort around here. Can one of you get off your duff and hold the door for me? Geez!
See also: duff, get, off

up the duff

Pregnant. Primarily heard in UK, Ireland. You two have only been married for a couple of months, I can't believe you're up the duff already! I was pretty wild during my university years, which is how I found myself up the duff at 22.
See also: duff, up
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

up the duff

pregnant. British informal
1994 Daily Telegraph At 19, he was married (‘only because she was up the duff’ he explains gallantly).
See also: duff, up
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

duff

(dəf)
n. the buttocks. Don’t you get tired of sitting around on your duff?
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

get off one's duff

Get moving, become active. This slangy idiom uses duff in the sense of buttocks, a usage dating from about 1840 and at that time considered impolite. It no longer is, at least not in America, and if anything this cliché is a euphemism for still ruder synonyms, such as get off one’s butt or get off one’s ass.
See also: duff, get, off
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
See also:
References in periodicals archive
Duff finds one reason for not counting the radically inapt as criminal attempts in his doctrine of objectivism.
Criminal Attempts
"It is always a source of pride when blue-chip firms like Duff & Phelps and Evercore transition from a sublease to a direct, long-term relationship," added Fisher Brothers partner Winston Fisher.
Fisher in 91,000 s/f Plaza deal
"Coming back into it for me has been a big learning experience and it's a lot of anxiety,'' Duff said.
Duff admits to playing catch-up in fast-paced music biz
I knew Duff (pictured) when he wanted to put local boxers on Welsh shows a few decades ago and I must say he was not an easy guy to get on with.
Mickey Duff - a tough customer and a legend of the fight game; Fight Scene Wales Kevin Hayde: The promoter with a punch sport@walesonline.co.uk
Fellow promoter Barry Hearn led the tributes, tweeting: "Sorry to hear that Mickey Duff died today RIP Legendary promoter."
Tributes for 'true boxing man' Duff; SPORT SHORTS
Tributes were paid last night to boxing legend Mickey Duff, who died at the age of 84 The manager and promoter worked with 16 world champions and many top British fighters such as Scot Jim Watt, Frank Bruno, Joe Calzaghe and John Conteh.
Boxing legend Duff dies
TRIBUTES were paid last night to former boxer, manager and promoter Mickey Duff, who died at the age of 84.
Tributes paid to boxing's Mickey Duff
Dubai: To the skirl of bagpipes, Bill Duff, the man who many believed was instrumental in building Dubai, was laid to rest yesterday at Christ Church in Jebel Ali.
Bill Duff laid to rest
TELECOMWORLDWIRE-January 15, 2014-Le Duff America picks software solution suite from Agilysys
Le Duff America picks software solution suite from Agilysys
Prolific writer Gerald Duff offers a strikingly forthcoming memoir as his latest work.
A Liar's Truth
Andrew Duff's (ALDE, UK) efforts in view of creating a pan-European electoral list with 25 extra parliamentarians in an attempt to fill in the European Parliament's popular legitimacy gap have suffered a new setback: his report was sent back to committee by the plenary, on 7 July, due to resistance from MEPs and internal division in the EPP, S&D and ALDE groups.
EP ELECTORAL REFORM : DUFF REPORT SENT BACK TO COMMITTEE
Gordon Duff's Bibliography with Supplementary Descriptions, Chronologies and a Census of Copies.
Lotte Hellinga, ed.: Printing in England in the Fifteenth Century: E. Gordon Duff's Bibliography with Supplementary Descriptions, Chronologies and a Census of Copies
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