noun
gaff
Harsh treatment that someone must endure.
She takes plenty of gaff from coworkers but stays calm.
Etymology
Probably a figurative use of the hook-name for painful treatment or an ordeal. The slang development is uncertain.
More examples
- New recruits learn to stand the gaff during training.
- He gets a lot of gaff for his unpopular opinions.
- I can take the gaff, but leave my family alone.
Forms
gaff