English · Slang Historical

whifflers

Preserved but no longer current.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Ancient name for fifers; also persons at the universities who examine candidates for degrees. A whiffling cur, a small yelping cur.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Tên cổ của những người thổi sáo; cũng là những người tại các trường đại học kiểm tra ứng viên cho bằng cấp

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English

Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “whifflers” mean?

Ancient name for fifers; also persons at the universities who examine candidates for degrees. A whiffling cur, a small yelping cur.

Is “whifflers” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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