Brewer's: Gaffer

(g hard). A title of address, as “Gaffer Grey,” “Good-day, Gaffer.” About equal to “mate.” (Anglo-Saxon, gefera, a comrade.) Many think the word is “grandfather.” (See Gammer.)

If I had but a thousand a year, Gaffer Green, If I had but a thousand a year.

Gaffer Green and Robin Rough.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language