to stand the gaff
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To bear punishment or raillery, with calmness.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to stand the gaff” mean?
To bear punishment or raillery, with calmness.
Is “to stand the gaff” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.