Toff
November 19, 2004
Fox-hunting is set to become illegal in England and Wales. The debate around this issue has been raging for some time and the word toff, used by some to describe those who practice the blood sport, caught my attention. This is the origin of the word according to the OED:
TOFF: [Perh. a vulgar perversion of TUFT, as formerly applied to a nobleman or gentleman-commoner at Oxford.]
TUFT: the gold tassel formerly worn by titled undergraduates at Oxford and Cambridge
My Robert & Collins gives the following French translations: aristo, dandy.
I think aristo is the best translation here. I would only use dandy in a context where the emphasis is put on the elegant way they dress (although of course fox hunters are very well dressed, but calling them toffs is less about what they wear than about their lifestyle).
Very interesting! And in addition, take a look at this article in the Encyclopedia.
In my youth, here in America, (in the 50's), to
be referred to as a dandy, (amoung us teens) was
akin to homosexuality without being an actual
label. I'm glad to see that it survived the
misuse that we gave it. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandy
TOFF meant to those that did not have dictionaries, Toffee nosed, one so snooty, nose [nasus, -i;nasute] , stuck high in the air, looking along their beak [nose] and saw nothing but the foggy sky. So may-be a french idiom for above it all Like Louis or antoinette of cake fame
Posted by scarabstercus on December 13, 2004 9:47 PMPrevious: November 16, 2004
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