an obsolete short wooden golf club used to add lift to the ball
Word origin
C19: from baff
baffy in American English
(ˈbæfi)
nounWord forms: pluralbaffies
Golf
a short, wooden club with a steep-sloped face, for lofting the ball
Also called: number four wood
Word origin
[1885–90; baff + -y2]This word is first recorded in the period 1885–90. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: classified, lineup, roller coaster, scrum, twofer-y is a noun-forming suffix with a variety of functions in contemporary English, addedto monosyllabic bases to create words that are almost always informal. Its earliestuse, probably still productive, was to form endearing or familiar names or commonnouns from personal names, other nouns, and adjectives (Billy; Susie; birdie; doggie; granny; sweetie; tummy). The hypocoristic feature is absent in recent coinages, however, which are simplyinformal and sometimes pejorative (boonies; cabby; groupie; hippy; looie; Okie; preemie; preppy; rookie). Another function is to form from adjectives nouns that denote exemplary or extremeinstances of the quality named by the adjective (baddie; biggie; cheapie; toughie), sometimes focusing on a restricted, usually unfavorable sense of the adjective(sharpie; sickie; whitey). A few words in which the informal character of -y and -ie has been lost are now standard in formal written English (goalie; movie)