Teases or makes fun of someone in a playful or good-natured way.
Likely derived from the word 'chaff' (the husks of grain), metaphorically comparing worthless teasing remarks to the inedible husks separated from grain. The verb form emerged in British English, possibly influenced by the act of winnowing chaff—separating the valuable from the worthless.
The British slang 'to chaff' someone actually comes from the same word for grain husks, because both involve separating out the worthless stuff—in this case, using playful banter to deflate someone's ego the way wind separates grain from chaff.
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