Tiffing
/ˈtɪfɪŋ/noun
The act of having a minor quarrel or, in some historical uses, taking a light drink or meal.
Did you know?The verb tiff has two historically distinct senses—“to quarrel” and “to drink lightly”—and scholars generally treat both origins as uncertain rather than magical or demonic.
Etymological Timeline
18th Century
English
tiff
“A small quarrel, fit of irritation, or petty dispute.”
18th Century
English
tiff
“A small drink, especially an alcoholic one; this appears as a separate, obscure sense.”
18th–19th Century
Anglo-Indian English
tiffin
“A light meal or refreshment, probably related to the drinking sense of tiff.”
19th Century
English
tiffing
“The present participle of tiff, referring to quarreling or taking a light refreshment.”
Modern English
English
tiffing
“Informal contemporary use for engaging in a minor quarrel, with the older refreshment sense now largely obsolete.”