Taffy

Taffy has various meanings.

1. In British English it is a slang term for a Welsh person or thing. It may be derived from the Welsh forename Dafydd, meaning "David", and is now considered offensive or contemptuous by many people.

An old anti-Welsh English rhyme goes thus:

Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief,

Taffy came to my house and stole a leg of beef.

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy wasn't in,

I jumped upon his Sunday hat and poked it with a pin.

(There are several additional/alternative verses.)

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2. In American English taffy is a term for a type of "candy" (itself a term in American English for confectionery). One kind of taffy is Salt Water Taffy. Taffy is made by stretching or pulling (AKA pulling taffy) a sticky mass of sugar to make it fluffy. When this process is complete the taffy is cut into small colorful pieces and wrapped in wax paper to keep it soft. It usually has a fruity flavor, but many other flavors are common.

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See also:

• Paddy
• Mick
• Pejorative words and phrases
• Terms of disparagement
• Insult
• List of ethnic slurs