counter surf

English

Etymology 1

From counter ("kitchen surface where food preparation takes place") + surf ("to browse the internet, television, etc.").

Alternative forms

• counter-surf, countersurf

Verb

counter surf (third-person singular simple present counter surfs, present participle counter surfing, simple past and past participle counter surfed)

1. (US, of a pet) To sneak unsupervised food from a table or kitchen counter.
   • 2011, Bardi McLennan, Miriam Fields-Babineau, Puppy Training:

     With nothing to cause temptation, there will be no reason for him to counter surf other than to grab your attention.

   • 2011, Marilyn Krieger, Naughty No More:

     Remember, Attention Seekers who counter surf need to be trained differently than those cats who have other reasons for surfing, but regardless of your cat's motivation for counter surfing, don't yell at her or attempt to stare her down, pet her, or squirt her with water.

   • 2018, Brandy Eggeman, Joan Hustace Walker, Training Your German Shepherd Dog, →ISBN:

     If you insist on leaving food out and not crating your dog, or if your dog is so bold that he tries to counter surf in your presence, try the following.

Etymology 2

From counter ("contrary or opposing") + surf ("waves that break on an ocean shoreline").

Noun

counter surf

1. Waves that have broken on the shoreline and that push seaward as a result.
   • 1854, Victoria. Legislative Council, Minutes of the Proceedings of the Legislative Council During the Session 1853-4:

     I would however beg to qualify this observation to a slight extent by remarking, that the nearer a vessel is anchored to the beach, she approaches the influence of the counter surf from the shore, and to this circumstance may be attributed a greater and more sudden jerk than the ship would receive by being removed from its scope, and therefore any ship anchoring in the Bay with bad and insufficient ground tackle is liable to be driven ashore: the small extent of this bay obliging vessels to come within this influence, it is therefore of paramount importance that vessels should be well found.

   • 1880, John Davis, Sir Albert Hastings Markham, Charles Henry Coote, The Voyages and Works of John Davis, the Navigator, page 116:

     The seas continually brake over the shops poope, and flew into the sailes with such violence, that we still expected the tearing of our sayles, or oversetting of the ship, and withall to our utter discomfort, wee perceived that wee fell still more and more to leeward, so that wee could not double the cape: wee were nowe come within halfe a mile of the cape, and so neere the shore that the counter-suffe of the sea would rebound against the shippes side, so that wee were much dismayed with the horror of our present ende.