Where does “toffee-nosed” come from?
toffee-nosed (English) comes from English toff, from English tuft, from Middle English tuft, from Old French touffe, from Proto-Germanic tuppaz, from Proto-Indo-European dumb- — tail, rod, staff, pole, penis; tail, rod, staff,...
toffee-nosed (English): snobbish, condescending or aloof
Definitions
- snobbish, condescending or aloof
Ancestry of “toffee-nosed”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | toff | An elegantly dressed person; A person of the... |
| 2 | English | tuft | A bunch of feathers, grass or hair, etc., held... |
| 3 | Middle English | tuft | — |
| 4 | Old French | touffe | tuft |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tuppaz | tuft, plait; top, summit |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dumb- | tail, rod, staff, pole, penis; tail, rod, staff,... |