www.alphadictionary.com

I see that many years ago we explored 'buffalo' and that buff as a colour reflects the colour in a hide. But while today exploring the use of buff as an enthusiast, I see that this appears to stem from the buff coloured uniforms worn by volunteer firemen. And further, the expression 'in the buff' also originates in buffalo by reference to the hide or more directly the skin. Buff as in polishing appears to come from use of the hide in the polishing process.

So we have a wide range of apparently diverse meanings but all with the same root. Marvellous.

For a whole herd of posts, see Buffalo, and its original suggestion post.