Spiffing
After a weekend of rain, my husband and I both made the same remark when we saw bright sunshine on Monday morning - "spiffing" !
Anyone know where this comes from ?
The Oxford English Dictionary labels it "colloq. and dial." and defines it as "Excellent,
first-rate, very good, etc.; fine or smart in . . . dress and appearance." The
first quotation illustrating its use is dated 1872. Dictionary says "Cf. next
[i.e., spiffy] and such forms as 'rattling,' 'ripping,' 'topping, etc.]."
For
"spiffy," it also says "colloq. and dial." "Of obscure origin; the shorter form
'spiff' is recorded in dialect use from 1862."