Stuff: noun: material, trash. slang: money, drugs, a pompous person,to do the sex act verb: cram full, pack tightly. slang: eat greedily, as defined in the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang 1st edition from 1997.
The origin of the word stuff is rather vague. Middle English contributedStof, which in 1330 referred to the clothing worn under mail bysoldiers, but Old French contributed Estoffe, referring to furniture.
Once a formal word to describe a garrison and furniture, it is now usedto depict items that either don’t have a word -“what is that stuff?”-or encompassing many items-“Why is it that our sh** is stuff and their stuff is sh**” George Carlin-. When used as a verb, this word can implythere are many items inside another object -“Oh, that suitcase will holdmore, just stuff it in”-. Shockingly enough, stuff may also refer to awoman as a sex object, reports the 1986 edition of the New Dictionary of American Slang.
By 1438, stuff ceased being a military term and referred to householditems that could be carried away. By the end of the century, it becamean industry term, especially in textile. In the 1600’s, stuff cameto be what a person was ‘made of’ -“When that the poore haue cry’de,Cæsar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.”[William Shakespeare, Julius Cesar-]. It was also around this time that stuffbecame known as any unspecified matter. In 1865, s tuff began its naughty turn in when it was used to refer to stolen items. By the 1920’s, stuffreferred to alcohol and narcotics during Prohibition -“where’s thestuff?”-. Stuff became vulgar in the 1970’s -“In the end no onecares a stuff who’s in jail or what war’s on, so long as it’s far away”[Nadine Gordimer, Burger’s Daughter]-
What is this stuff? Perhaps if I were made of stronger stuff I’d letyou know, but until next time stuff it!