[NicknamedBob]

All I can tell you is that lief, or liefer, seems to be an Americanism. I recall Louis L'Amour using expressions such as, "I'd as lief not go there, right now."

lief (lêf) adverb
liefer, liefest
Readily; willingly: I would as lief go now as later.

adjective
liefer, liefest
Archaic.
1. Beloved; dear.
2. Ready or willing.
[Middle English leve, lef, dear, willingly, from Old English lêof, dear.]

[sionnsar]

Very interesting. I had known the word, but I am not certain that was used here. Though it fits...