buff
Showing muscle definition, usually in an attractive or appealing way. There are so many buff guys at this gym that it's hard to concentrate on working out! Can you believe how buff I look after just three sessions with the personal trainer? A: "Have you seen him shirtless? He sure is buff!" B: "Well, yeah, he is a professional athlete."
buff down
To make a solid surface (such as metal, wood, or plastic) smooth by removing imperfections with the application of a strong and consistent frictional force, especially from a buffing wheel. A noun or pronoun can be used between "buff" and "down." Somebody scratched my car, so I'll have to take it to the shop to get it buffed down. I thought this piece of wood had already been buffed down, but I still see splinters. Oops, was I supposed to buff this down before I started painting it?
buff out
A noun or pronoun can be used between "buff" and "out."
1. To remove or smooth out imperfections from a solid surface, such as metal, wood, or plastic, by applying a strong and consistent frictional force, especially from a buffing wheel. Somebody scratched my car! I'll have to take it to the shop to get it buffed out. I thought this piece of wood had already been buffed out, but I still see splinters. Oops, was I supposed to buff this out before I started painting it?
2. To conceal or remove minor flaws, imperfections, or damage, either physically (as from a surface) or figuratively (as from one's personality or background). Prior to his campaign, the candidate hired a PR firm to buff out some of his problems relating to younger voters. The groundskeeper buffed out the field ahead of the big game tonight. He'll never be able to hold on to a girlfriend until he buffs out some of the rough edges in his personality.
buff the muffin
vulgar slang To masturbate. A term usually applied to women. A: "Why is she all embarrassed today?" B: "Oh, her crush walked in on her buffing the muffin. How horrifying is that?" Why are you surprised to hear that women buff the muffin? We have needs too!
buff up
To make a surface (such as metal) smooth by rubbing it so that it shines. A noun or pronoun can be used between "buff" and "up." I buffed up my car so that it would look nice at the wedding. I feel like I'm constantly having to buff up my stainless steel appliances because they're always covered in fingerprints. Hey, can you buff up my bowling ball ahead of the tournament?
buffed
Showing muscle definition, usually in an attractive or appealing way. There are so many buffed guys at this gym that it's hard to concentrate on working out! Can you believe how buffed I look after just three sessions with the personal trainer? A: "Have you seen him shirtless? He sure is buffed!" B: "Well, yeah, he is a professional athlete."
in the altogether
old-fashioned Naked. I keep having the dream where I walk into my high school in the altogether! I used to have a roommate who always liked traipsing around the apartment in the altogether. It was so embarrassing! My toddler hates wearing clothes for some reason. He would just rather be in the altogether all day!
in the buff
slang Naked. I keep having the dream where I walk into my high school in the buff! I used to have a roommate who always liked traipsing around the apartment in the buff. It was so embarrassing! My toddler hates wearing clothes for some reason. He would just rather be in the buff all day!
run around in the buff
informal To be naked while doing things or going from place to place. When you were a toddler, there was nothing you liked better than running around outside in the buff!
sleep in the buff
informal To wear no clothes while sleeping. It gets so hot here in the summertime that I have to sleep in the buff at night.
stripped to the buff
slang Naked. I keep having a dream where I walk into my high school stripped to the buff!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
in the altogether
Also, in or stripped to the buff ; in the raw. Naked, nude, as in The art class wanted a model to pose in the altogether, or She was stripped to the buff when the doorbell rang, or He always sleeps in the raw. The first of these colloquial terms dates from the late 1800s. In the buff, a seemingly modern locution dates from the 1600s, buff alluding to a soft, undyed leather, buffskin, that also gave its name to the color. The use of raw, presumably also alluding to raw (undressed) leather, dates from the early 1900s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.