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duffer

 [duhf-er]   Origin

duff·er

   [duhf-er]
noun
1.
Informal.
a.
a plodding, clumsy, incompetent person.
b.
a person inept or inexperienced at a specific sport, as golf.
2.
Northern and North Midland U.S. an old man, especially a dull or indecisive one.
3.
Slang.
a.
anything inferior, counterfeit, or useless.
b.
a peddler, especially one who sells cheap, flashy goods.
Origin:
1835–45; perhaps Scots dialect duffar, dowfart dull, stupid person, derivative of dowf; def. 3 perhaps re-formation with duff3 + -er1
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Duffer is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
duffer (ˈdʌfə)
 
—n
1.  informal a dull or incompetent person
2.  slang something worthless
3.  dialect a peddler or hawker
4.  slang (Austral)
 a.  a mine that proves unproductive
 b.  a person who steals cattle
 
[C19: of uncertain origin]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

duffer
"old man," also "bad golfer," 1842, probably from Scot. duffar "dull or stupid person." But perhaps rather from 18c. thieves' slang duff (v.) "to dress or manipulate an old thing and make it look new."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

duffer definition

[ˈdəfɚ]
  1. n.
    a foolish oaf; a bumbler. : Pete's just a duffer—he's not really serious at it.
  2. n.
    an unskilled golfer. : Those duffers up ahead are holding up the game.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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