Skewiffy

[EEZABLADE32]

Hi, is there such a word as above, and what is its derivation.
Thx
Tony

[Quizmonkey]

It's skew-whiff (in Chambers) - doesn't give an etymology.

[Quizmonster]

One or two of the examples of skew-whiff in The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) - though not the dictionary definition itself - suggest the skew part is from askew...ie awry...and the whiff part may be based on its meaning as a puff of air. Putting the two elements together gives the idea of something randomly "blown out of position".
Seems reasonable, but, as I wrote, the OED itself does not give that explanation, so treat with caution.

[heathfield]

Then there's ''squiffy'', meaning tipsy or slightly drunk - derivation unknown.

[sandyRoe]

I read somewhere that 'squiffy' was coined to describe someone who was in the same state as the PM of the day, Herbert Asquith

[redcrx]

never heard of skewiffy, just skew whiff http://www.thefreedictionary.com/skew-whiff (ie on the wonk)
or squiffy http://www.thefreedictionary.com/squiffy drunk

[emmie]

squiffy, or it used to be, meaning pie eyed, drunk,

[Quizmonster]

H, the OED offers askew and skew-whiff as alternative meanings for squiffy. Presumably, therefore, things that are "out of kilter" may be squiffy as well as people!

[Quizmonster]

Sandy, the earliest recorded use of squiffy to mean tipsy dates to 1855, at which point Asquith was three years old! His behaviour attracted the nickname rather than the opposite way around.

[jno]

Jonathon Green says to squiff meant to drink in the 19th century, and suggests it may be related to "quaff".