Forms: (4 troiflard), triffler(e, -our, triflere, 4–6 trifeler, 4–7 tryfler, 5 trufeler, truffilere, tryfflare, tryfelare, -fulere, -fuller, (-pheler), trifulere, 6 tryfelar, -fullar, 6–7 triffel(l)er, tryf(f)eler, 6– trifler. [a. OF. trufleor, -eour, -eur, nom. trufflere (beside trufeor, truffeur, etc., all 13th c.) liar, cheat, trifler, agent-n. from truffer, truffler: see TRIFLE v.1 and -ER2. Also with other suffixes: see -ER1.] One who trifles.
1. A teller of feigned or idle stories, one not to be believed or taken seriously; a jester, a joker; a nonsensical speaker; a worthless fellow.
1382. Wyclif, Wisd. ii. 16. As trifleres [1388 triffleris, marg. trifeleris; that is, men of no vertu; L. nugaces] wee ben eymed of hym.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 475. Telle More of þise tryflers hou trechurly þei libbeþ? Ibid., 742. Y miȝt tymen þo troiflardes to toilen wiþ þe erþe, Tylyen & trewliche lyven & her flech tempren!
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, III. 118. Þe tale of a trifflour.
c. 1420. ? Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 685. Tregetours, tryphelers, feyners of tales.
c. 1425. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 651/11. Hic nugator, trifulere.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 502/2. Tryfelare…, trufator, nugax.
1483. Cath. Angl., 395/1. A Trufeler (A. Truffilere), gerro,… nugifer, nugigerulus.
1519. Horman, Vulg., 77. Thys felowe is a tryfullar, leude, of no truste, or reputacion.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), liv. Gamners and trifelers, and such other iuglers.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 399. Then Poggius the babbler, the trifler, the railer.
2. One who is not serious or earnest in what he does; one who wastes his time on trivialities; a frivolous person.
1607–12. Bacon, Ess., Beauty (Arb.), 210. A man cannot tell whether Appelles or Albert Durere were the more trifler.
1710. Palmer, Proverbs, 244. Many a one will prove but a trifler in Latin or Greek, who in his mother-tongue might have appear’d to advantage.
1756. Johnson, in W. Payne, Game of Draughts, Ded. Triflers may find or make any thing a trifle.
1781. Cowper, Charity, 355. The solemn trifler with his boasted skill.
1818. Scott, Br. Lamm., xxxiii. At present, I have no leisure for the disputes of triflers.
1833. Macaulay, Ess., War Succession Spain (1887), 280. Harley, we believe, was a solemn trifler,—St. John a brilliant knave.
1872. Morley, Voltaire, i. (1886), 4. Erudition figures him as shallow and a trifler.
3. One who works in the kind of pewter called ‘trifle’ (see TRIFLE sb. 7).
1610–1. in Welch, Hist. Pewterers’ Co. (1902), II. 56. It was ordered … that … the tryflers shall have for ther ware as they do delyver to the company … mettall and money and vppon the complaynt of any of those tryflers wch ar not so payed it is ordered that they shall have x d. a pound for ther mettall and also to be fynd. Ibid. (1612–3), 61. A meeteinge … of certen tryffeleres for the Syzeinge of wares. Ibid. (1614–5), 68. Triffelers.
