Word: chuff
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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...agents that he "refused"' to leave Russia at Stalin's "illegal" order, and seemingly the agents were so perturbed by this that they stopped the Trotsky special train for 12 days amid open fields to query Moscow for further orders. Every day the engine would chuff to a neighboring village and return with food, mostly canned. Amid this interlude of perplexity, and while the empty tin cans were piling up on either side of the track, Trotsky amused himself by re-reading several works by Anatole France, famed and precious French scoffer. When, in obedience to fresh orders...
Through the lovely, verdant park of Cotroceni, at Bucharest, a pair of steel rails curve in and up to the Palace of Dowager Queen Marie. When a royal train draws nigh it can chuff conveniently into a trig, small station only a few score yards from the palace door. Last week came the train of Her Majesty Queen Marie of Jugoslavia, daughter of Marie of Rumania...
...Chuff...
...commendation on your use of the word "chuff" (TIME, April 5, "In Little Rock...
Such onomatopoetic creations should be judged by their success rather than by the dictionaries. In this particular case credit is due to a typesetter who set "chuff" for "chug." An able proofreader, quick to sense the merit of the "new word," let it stand...