duffer
[ duhf-er ]
/ ˈdʌf ər /
noun
Informal.
- a plodding, clumsy, incompetent person.
- a person inept or inexperienced at a specific sport, as golf.
Northern and North Midland U.S. an old man, especially a dull or indecisive one.
Slang.
- anything inferior, counterfeit, or useless.
- a peddler, especially one who sells cheap, flashy goods.
Nearby words
duff, duff up, duffel, duffel bag, duffel coat, duffer, duffle, duffle coat, duffy, duffy, sir charles gavan, dufus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for duffer
British Dictionary definitions for duffer
duffer
/ (ˈdʌfə) /
noun
informal a dull or incompetent person
slang something worthless
dialect a peddler or hawker
Australian slang
- a mine that proves unproductive
- a person who steals cattle
Word Origin for duffer
C19: of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for duffer
duffer
"inept person; old man," especially "bad golfer," 1842, perhaps from Scottish duffar "dull or stupid person," from dowf "stupid," literally "deaf," from Old Norse daufr, with pejorative suffix -art. Or perhaps from 18c. thieves' slang duff (v.) "to dress or manipulate an old thing and make it look new."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper