I grew up with the word "hand muff," a cozy fluffy tube to keep hands warm in winter.

Nowadays whenever someone says "muff," someone else giggles ๐Ÿ™„

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[โ€“] 17 points 6 months ago

Circa 1699 per OED. Figurative extension of the existing meaning.

https://grammarphobia.com/blog/2017/03/muff.html

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  • [โ€“] 12 points 6 months ago

    I thought it came from the thing you have pictured. But for penis instead of hands. ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ

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  • [โ€“] 11 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    a cozy fluffy tube

    I think that's your why. As to when, no idea. I first heard people talk about "eating muff" or "muff diving" going back at least 25 years, but I'm sure it's probably much older than that.

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  • [โ€“] 9 points 6 months ago

    I remember it being common by the late '70s.

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  • [โ€“] 5 points 6 months ago*

    I use ear muffs to protect my ears from cold

    edit: and in places it is popular to eat muffaletta

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