In the late 1940s, Jerry adopted a little gray mouse foundling named Nibbles (also later known as Tuffy), coming from a certain "Mrs. Bide-a-Wee Mouse Home." In the years of Nibbles' debut, he is depicted as a constantly hungry little mouse (as told by Mrs. Bide-a-Wee Mouse Home herself, and his open-mouth-pointing, lip-licking, lip-smacking, tummy-rubbing gesture). In later years Nibbles got rid of his hungry personality and was given a voice, but usually in a foreign language in keeping with the theme and setting of the short (if it's English, it's usually in a British accent).
Tuffy (originally Nibbles) is a fictional character from the Tom and Jerry cartoon series. He is the little grey, diaper-wearing orphan mouse who first appeared in the 1946 short The Milky Waif. Tuffy was later featured in the 1949 award-winning short The Little Orphan.
He was formely known as "Nibbles" at the time until 1954, when the writers decided to change his name to "Tuffy" without changing his appearance. Oddly, Tuffy is called "Nibbles" again in the Tom and Jerry movie, Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring.
Tuffy did not usually speak, but he spoke mostly in French whenever he was featured as in a "Mouseketeer" cartoon. On occasions, he would speak with a strong British accent.
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