stand the gaff

verb

To endure harsh criticism, rough treatment, or severe difficulties without complaining or breaking down.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbstand the gaff (third-person singular simple present stands the gaff, present participle standing the gaff, simple past and past participle stood the gaff)

present singular third person stands the gaff · participle present standing the gaff · participle past stood the gaff · past stood the gaff

  1. To endure harsh criticism, rough treatment, or severe difficulties without complaining or breaking down.

Origin

Became famous in the 1925 coalminers' strike in New Waterford, Nova Scotia, Canada, when J E McClurg, vice-president of BESCO, intent on starving the strikers into submission, was heard laughing at the strikers, saying "They can't stand the gaff." It then became an expression of defiance for the miners.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

stand the gaff. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20the%20gaff

MLA

“stand the gaff.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20the%20gaff. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stand the gaff,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20the%20gaff.

Source: stand the gaff on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.