ofay
[oh-fey]
- a contemptuous term used to refer to a white person.
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Also fay.
Origin of ofay
1920–25, Americanism; of obscure origin; the popular notion that the word is a Pig Latin deformation of foe is very dubious
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
ofay
- US slang a derogatory term for a White person
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Word Origin
C20: origin unknown
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for ofay
n.
American English black slang, "white person," 1925, of unknown origin. If, as is sometimes claimed, it derives from an African word, none corresponding to it has been found. Perhaps the most plausible speculation is Yoruba ófé "to disappear" (as from a powerful enemy), with the sense transferred from the word of self-protection to the source of the threat. OED regards the main alternative theory, that it is pig Latin for foe, to be no more than an "implausible guess."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper