taffy

[ taf-ee ]

noun

, plural taf·fies.

1. a chewy candy made of sugar or corn syrup boiled down with butter or oil, pulled or stretched back and forth to incorporate air bubbles, then rolled, twisted, and cut into pieces.
2. Informal. flattery.

taffy

¹

/ ˈtæfɪ /

noun

1. a chewy sweet made of brown sugar or molasses and butter, boiled and then pulled so that it becomes glossy
2. a less common term for toffee

Taffy

²

/ ˈtæfɪ /

noun

1. a slang word or nickname for a Welshman

Word History and Origins

Origin of taffy¹

First recorded in 1815–25; northern English dialect variant of toffee; toffee ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of taffy¹

C19: perhaps from tafia

Origin of taffy²

C17: from the supposed Welsh pronunciation of Davy (from David, Welsh Dafydd ), a common Welsh Christian name

Example Sentences

Their specific offerings include pretzels, caramels, chocolate, taffy and cupcakes... just to name a few.

From Salon

Everything from Mexican pop to European experimentalism was strained, boiled, compressed and stretched into addictive instrumental taffy.

From Los Angeles Times

The weekend was oceanic cliffs and Gilded Age mansions and a kaleidoscopic assortment of saltwater taffy.

From Salon

They always flew along the wires of this place like a kettle of jeweled hawks, cresting over the rooftops of turreted houses and quaint shops all stuck together like assorted taffies.

From Literature

It’s basically taffy with a peanut butter center, a joyous merger that has been made since the 1970s by Annabelle Candy Co. in Hayward.

From Los Angeles Times