> as lemmas

1623 C. Butler Feminine Monarchie (rev. ed.) v. sig. L4^v This is not to be done..lest some of the Bees take a miffe, and goe home againe.

1726 J. Arbuthnot Let. 8 Nov. in J. Swift Lett. (1766) II. 324 I gave your service to Lady Harvey. She is in a little sort of a miff about a ballad, that was wrote on her.

1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones I. iii. vi. 194 When a little Quarrel, or Miff, as it is vulgarly called, arose between them. View more context for this quotation

1783 L. Goddard Jrnl. 10 Sept. in E. M. Bell Hanwood Papers (1930) iii. 49 One lady that I got for a partner in a miff said she was sure of losing the rubber.

1791 G. Washington Let. 18 Dec. in Papers (2000) Presidential Ser. IX. 293 If..he should take miff and leave the business, I have no scruple in declaring..that I do not know where another is to be found.

1821 E. Nathan Langreath I. 136 I should take miff every time I come into your house.

1825 J. Neal Brother Jonathan I. 374 If she should git another miff, we'd never be able to appease her.

1844 N. P. Willis Lady Jane ii. 716 Like ladies in a miff who won't explain!

1854 T. De Quincey On War in Select. Grave & Gay IV. 270 We have a French anecdote..which ascribes one bloody war to the accident of a little ‘miff’ arising between the king and his minister upon some such trifle as [etc.].

1882 T. B. Aldrich Poems 128 I see! I've put you in a miff.

1894 T. Hardy Life's Little Ironies 232 'Twill cause 'em to kick up a bit of a miff, for certain.

1926 Public Opinion 9 July 39/1 Mrs Huff is up the miff tree On a seat fixed good and firm; And she'd like to tell the preacher A few things to make him squirm.