gaff

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Related to gaffs: gaffing

blow the gaff

slang To talk about or reveal a private or secret matter. Primarily heard in UK. I can't believe you blew the gaff and talked about the plans for her surprise party right to her face! Don't tell your little brother anything you want to keep secret because he'll definitely blow the gaff.

See also: blow, gaff

stand the gaff

To face and withstand intense censure or criticism. I made the decision to go ahead with my plan and stand the gaff later, if it came to it. You must be willing to stand the gaff if your hope to make any worthwhile progress in this business.

stand the gaff

Take severe criticism or other adversity in stride, as in If you can't stand the gaff, don't try running for office. [Slang; late 1800s]

blow the gaff

BRITISH, INFORMAL

If you blow the gaff, you tell people something which was supposed to be kept secret. He is certainly not the first minister to blow the gaff. Note: `Blow' here means `reveal'. In the 19th century, `gaff' was a slang word used to refer to dishonest behaviour which was intended to deceive people.

See also: blow, gaff

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

blow the gaff

reveal or let out a plot or secret. British informal

The word gaff is recorded from the early 19th century, but its origins are uncertain.

See also: blow, gaff

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

blow the ˈgaff (on somebody/something)

(British English, informal) reveal a secret: She didn’t want anyone to know where she had been, but her husband blew the gaff. OPPOSITE: keep mum

See also: blow, gaff

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

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References in periodicals archive ?

Cobia to be kept should be gaffed, and then when brought alongside, a whack with a club or fish bat should be applied to the head.

Land Big Fish: And when not to do that

Richard Gaff, 51, of Springfield, is serving a 16-month sentence at the Oregon State Penitentiary for manufacturing, possessing and selling marijuana and hashish.

Illegally stored chemicals traced to defunct company

More Own Goals And Gaffs is available now on video and DVD - but don't worry is you haven't got a DVD machine.

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The primary study end point in GAFFS was time to clinical success, which was defined as cure or significant improvement.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a gaff adapted for chromated copper arsenate (CCA) in order to improve the linemen's psychophysical perception of pole climbability compared to the standard gaff used by Hydro-Quebec's staff.

EFFECT OF GAFF DESIGN ON LINEMEN'S PERCEPTION OF THE CLIMBABILITY OF RED PINE UTILITY POLES OF PRE-SELECTED WOOD HARDNESS

Before one contest has run its course, the gaffs will be on.

Blood and Feathers - Masculine Identity in East Timorese Cockfighting

Gaff, say the lexicons, can mean a metal spur for a gamecock, a cheap theater or music hall, an ordeal, or a kind of topsail.

Ole Tex braggs "Ain't this a fine hoss-pistol? Yes, sir, I grew it from a colt!" (grammatical errors) (Wood on Words) (Column)

Almost 50 years later I am quite certain I never missed a fish with it, and I cried plenty of tears over my first gaff when the old Shu Mac met her fate in a marina fire.

To the point: tips for choosing a gaff

More Own Goals and Gaffs: Available in good video and DVD stockists

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The boys from the `wee gaffs' love to see the quality dogs in action.

Dog Racing: Dogs

The worst gaffs came in the last minutes when Gareth Williams headed wide and sub John Schofield planted a close range header straight at keeper Lee Martin when it was easier to score.

Football: FA Cup: Hull of a miss; MACCLESFIELD 0 HULL 0

At a lot of piers I see pier gaffs used more often than ring nets, even for out of season snook.

A lifeline for gamefish

It's fair to say that last year reviewers Richard Pitman and Peter Scudamore appeared to have been looking at the race for the first time, as they produced a series of howling, amateurish gaffs.

Racing: Auntie's out to stop Aintree bloomers

It's either Oxford or Cambridge" landed him in the list of worst gaffs. But he will also be remembered for announcing many of the historic events of the Second World War.

VOICE OF THE BBC DIES

* Get the net: Gaffs are great tools in the hands of experienced crew, but if you're running the boat and relying on a guest to help land a big fish, a good net is just about goof-proof.