Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- Bustling; fussy; demonstratively smart; officious.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Colloq. Eng. Earnest and active in matters of no moment; bustling.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective UK, colloquial, dated
earnest andactive in matters of no importance;bustling
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Probably from British English dialect spoffle to be spoffish.
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Examples
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He invariably spoke with astonishing rapidity; was smart, spoffish, and eight – and – twenty.
Sketches by Boz 2007
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He invariably spoke with astonishing rapidity; was smart, spoffish, and eight-and-twenty.
Sketches by Boz, illustrative of everyday life and every-day people Charles Dickens 1841
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‘Ah! Flamwell, my dear fellow, how d’ye do?’ said Mr. Malderton, as a little spoffish man, with green spectacles, entered the room.
Sketches by Boz 2007
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a little spoffish man, with green spectacles, entered the room.
Sketches by Boz, illustrative of everyday life and every-day people Charles Dickens 1841
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