Spot on Tony - they have done so since I was in short pants (what am I talking about, I'm still in short pants). Been the euphemism for the sound of a steamer for as long as I can remember. Seems like the commentator attempted a pun (play on words for you humourless types) - not a very good pun, but .... Tony Wells wrote: > Steam trains go "chuff chuff", especially uphill and especially in the land > where they were invented. Indeed, they are still often referred to as > "chuffers", sometimes sentimentally and sometimes less so ..... To explain > to a poor Colonial, if it was chuffed to bits, it was over worked and > chuffed too much in fact, yeah unto death, or at least until something fell > off, whilst being chuffed, that is pleased, at being allowed to serve whilst > doing so! Or are you pulling our chuffers ??? <VBG> All this before we even > get on to Harold Steptoe (a British fictional TV character, a ragamuffin in > fact) one of who's favourite expressions was "colder than a penguin's > chuff", thereby introducing yet another, third meaning .... and he didn't > mean their feet! > > TonyW. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Harry Wade" <hww@xxxxxxxx> > To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 9:37 PM > Subject: [modeleng] Re: Steam to the rescue! > > > >> Ken, >> That's my understanding of the word, so to use chuffed in association with >> a negative (ie, needing a rebuild) seemed rather odd. The only thing I >> can think of is that he chuffed instead of chugged (as in chugging >> locomotive) and chugged to bits might make more sense, although probably >> misinformed. >> Harry >> >> -----Original Message----- >> >>> From: Ken Strauss <ken.strauss@xxxxxxxxxxxx> >>> "chuffed"? According to the online dictionary chuffed means "pleased or >>> satisfied". Is there another meaning? >>> >> MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. >> >> To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, >> modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject >> line. >> >> > > > MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. > > To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, > modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject > line. > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > Internal Virus Database is out of date. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.0.233 / Virus Database: 270.10.16/1926 - Release Date: 01/30/09 > 17:31:00 > > MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.