Used as a phrase advising or warning that calmness and good order should be maintained.
The Buffs (note the capitalization) refers to the 3rd Regiment of
Foot in the British
Army, later renamed the Royal East Kent regiment until it was amalgated with other regiments after the Second World War (the current successor regiment being the Princess of
Wales's Royal Regiment). Before the
late 19th century introduction of khaki uniforms
British infantry famously wore red jackets. To tell different regiments apart they had different coloured facings - that is to say the inner lining visible when parts of the jacket like the sleeves where folded over. The 3rd Regiment of
Foot nickname came from their buff coloured (a pale yellow) facings. This
name was officially recognised and popularised during the period when regiments were named after their colonel. There were two Colonel Howard's Regiments so one was called the Buff Howards and the other the Green Howards.
The phrase itself originated in the 1858 when the adjutant of the Buffs was administrating a parade of his regiment under the gaze of a rival regiment, the 21st Fusiliers. Not wanting to be embarrassed by an indisciplined parade he shouted out 'steady the Buffs!' to get his
men into order. It became a
common phrase in the British
Army and was popularised by Kipling
"I can't believe it! My girlfriend has just left me, I've been fired from work and my dog has dog. My life has gone down the drain. I
don't know what to do"
"Steady the Buffs! I lost my leg to a
lion in Tanganyika but you
don't see me blubbing like a nancy boy.
"Sorry, I was being a trifle self-indulgent for a bit there"
