miff

plural miffs

1. A small argument; a quarrel.

   Well, to cut a long story short, by-long and by-late, John Wildway and I had a miff and parted; and lo and behold, the coming man came!

   1872, [Thomas Hardy], “VIII. They Dance More Wildly”, in Under the Greenwood Tree: A Rural Painting of the Dutch School, volume I, London: Tinsley Brothers, →OCLC, part I, page 111

   1 more example

   nay, she would throw it in the teeth of Allworthy himself, when a little quarrel, or miff, as it is vulgarly called, arose between them.

   1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC

   Synonyms: tiff

2. A state of being offended.

   She's taken a miff at something, I suppose, and means to cut my acquaintance.

   1851, T. S. Arthur, Off-Hand Sketches

present singular third person miffs · participle present miffing · participle past miffed · past miffed

1. transitiveusuallyTo offend slightly.

   1911, James Oliver Curwood, Philip Steele of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police "Don't get miffed about it, man," returned Nome with an irritating laugh.

   2 more examples

   he [our Interpreter Shabonah] will not agree to work let our Situation be what it may nor Stand a guard, and if miffed with any man he wishes to return when he pleases

   1805 March 12, Bernard DeVoto, editor, The journals of Lewis and Clark, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1953, Clark's journal, page 85

   1824, Sir Walter Scott, Redgauntlet […] answered my Thetis, a little miffed perhaps -- to use the women's phrase — that I turned the conversation upon my former partner, rather than addressed it to herself.

2. intransitiveTo become slightly offended.

   1905, George Barr McCutcheon, Jane Cable She miffed and started to reply, but thought better of it.

   1 more example

   I amble on; yet, though I know not why, / So sad I am!—but should a friend and I / Grow cool and miff, O! I am very sad!

   c. 1797, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “To Simplicity”, in Sonnets Attempted in the Manner of Contemporary Writers