gofer

or go-fer, go·pher

[ goh-fer ]

noun

, Slang.

1. an employee whose chief duty is running errands.

gofer

/ ˈɡəʊfə /

noun

1. slang.
   an employee or assistant whose duties include menial tasks such as running errands

Word History and Origins

Origin of gofer¹

1965–70; respelling of go for (verb phrase), with -er representing both vowel reduction in for and -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of gofer¹

C20: originally US: alteration of go for

Example Sentences

I was the gofer guy who made $285 a week cleaning toilets.

From The Daily Beast

Ichikowitz said he served between 1992 and 1994 as a glorified gofer for the African National Congress.

From The Daily Beast

On her second day, Mimi was given one of the anonymous gofer tasks familiar to most interns.

From The Daily Beast

"Henry Hill was a just a gofer," remembers veteran crime reporter Pileggi.

From The Daily Beast

Dougherty got his start in the news business as a gofer on The Washington Post sports desk in the 1970s.

From The Daily Beast

A relic of old times is found in the custom at Newark known as “Ringing for Gofer.”

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• gopher