“Fielder, acutely aware of his daughter's chaffing tone, and riveted by her stare, quickly averts his eyes away from the twins, and concentrates on his dinner.”

Adjective

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Contemptuously ridiculing or mocking someone or something

scoffing

skeptical^US

sceptical^UK

caviling^US

cavilling^UK

libellous^UK

libelous^US

ill-humored^US

rubbing the wrong way

sulphurous^UK

sulfurous^US

criticizing^US

criticising^UK

minimising^UK

unfavorable^US

dishonoring^US

minimizing^US

like a bear with a sore head

more ❯

Adjective

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Having a merry or cheerful nature or atmosphere

full of the joys of spring

full of vim and vigour

lots of laughs

without a care in the world

as lively as a grig

as merry as a grig

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

colorful^US

colourful^UK

beside oneself with joy

as happy as a sandboy

like a dog with two tails

like a child with a new toy

flakey^US

flaky^UK

likable^US

marvelous^US

marvellous^UK

likeable^UK

favourable^UK

favorable^US

looking on the bright side

bubbling

inspiriting

disposed to look on the bright side

looking through rose-colored glasses

cozy^US

cosy^UK

disposed to take a favourable view

seen through rose-coloured spectacles

inclined to look through rose-coloured spectacles

Pollyannaish

always expecting the best

energized^US

energised^UK

in transports of pleasure

in transports of delight

full of joie de vivre

full of get-up-and-go

savory^US

savoury^UK

sublime

magic

blithely unconcerned

carefree and untroubled

without care

free-minded

living the life of Riley

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Noun

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Mockery or taunts, or the act of mocking or taunting

pulling someone's chain

good-humoured mockery

backhanded compliment

humor^US

rejoinder

humour^UK

answer

pleasant conversation

black humor^US

rancor^US

rancour^UK

caviling^US

cavilling^UK

libeling^US

libelling^UK

character assassination

distorted representation

false impression

exaggerated drawing

exaggerated representation

pretence^UK

pretense^US

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Verb

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Present participle for to tease someone in a jocular manner

taking the piss out of

pulling one's leg

making a monkey out of

satirizing^US

satirising^UK

pulling someone's leg

treating with contempt

bedeviling^US

bedevilling^UK

holding up to ridicule

pulling someone's chain

playing a practical joke on

getting a rise out of

taking a rise out of

quipping

pouring scorn on

playing a practical joke

treating contemptuously

having a joke on somebody

getting in the hair of

getting on the nerves of

gambolling^UK

gamboling^US

victimizing^US

making a laughing-stock

making someone a laughing stock

laughing out of court

victimising^UK

playing cat and mouse

giving someone grief

putting through wringer

driving bananas

rubbing salt in wound

rubbing up the wrong way

getting on your nerves

getting under your skin

breathing down someone's neck

giving someone the hump

getting your goat

harping on at

making it hot for someone

rubbing the wrong way

stirring up

putting your back up

grumbling at

making your blood boil

getting on one's nerves

making things hot for someone

singling out

bending someone's ear

terrorizing^US

terrorising^UK

driving to distraction

tyrannizing^US

tyrannising^UK

discriminating against

searching high heaven

criticizing^US

criticising^UK

hitting where one lives

setting off

raising your hackles

getting across someone

running up the wrong way

getting your dander up

teeing off

making sore

rattling someone's cage

ruffling one's feathers

embittering

crazing

losing one's temper

giving someone the pip

egging on

getting someone

making someone see red

getting on your wick

blowing up

acerbating

getting up someone's nose

making somebody's hackles rise

antagonising^UK

raising hell

busting someone's balls

keeping complaining to

driving round the bend

driving round the twist

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“They then proceed to sit around him and to chaff him about his female relatives by singing songs of a facetious nature.”

Verb

▲

Present participle for to tell a joke or talk in a playful manner

satirizing^US

satirising^UK

mucking someone about

reveling^US

revelling^UK

more ❯

“I remember feeling rather important at being thus sent for on what seemed a serious occasion, too serious apparently for the boys to chaff about it.”