To stammer, hesitate, or speak haltingly; to hem and haw in speech.
From Scottish and Northern English dialect, possibly imitative in origin, expressing the sounds of hesitant speech. May be related to 'haphazard' or stammering sounds.
Onomatopoeia—where words sound like what they mean—are especially fun in Scottish: 'haffle' really does sound like someone struggling to get words out!
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