different between fool vs duffer
fool
English
Etymology
From Middle English fole (“fool”), from Old French fol (cf. modern French fou (“mad”)) from Latin follis. Doublet of follis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fu?l/
- Rhymes: -u?l
Noun
fool (plural fools)
- (derogatory) A person with poor judgment or little intelligence.
- You were a fool to cross that busy road without looking.
- The village fool threw his own shoes down the well.
- 1743, Benjamin Franklin
- Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.
- 1841, Charles Dickens, Barnaby Rudge Chapter 13
- ‘If I coloured at all, Mr Edward,’ said Joe, ‘which I didn’t know I did, it was to think I should have been such a fool as ever to have any hope of her. She’s as far out of my reach as—as Heaven is.’
- 1895, Rudyard Kipling, If—
- If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
?Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools
- If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
- 2001, Starsailor, Poor Misguided Fool
- You're just a poor misguided fool
Who thinks they know what I should do
A line for me and a line for you
I lose my right to a point of view.
- You're just a poor misguided fool
- 2008, Adele, Crazy for You
- And every time I'm meant to be acting sensible
You drift into my head
And turn me into a crumbling fool.
- And every time I'm meant to be acting sensible
- (historical) A jester; a person whose role was to entertain a sovereign and the court (or lower personages).
- 1896, Frederick Peterson IN Popular Science Monthly Volume 50 December 1896 , Idiots Savants
- This court fool could say bright things on occasion, but his main use to the ladies and lords of the palace was to serve as victim to practical jokes, cruel, coarse, and vulgar enough to be appreciated perhaps in the Bowery.
- 1896, Frederick Peterson IN Popular Science Monthly Volume 50 December 1896 , Idiots Savants
- (informal) Someone who derives pleasure from something specified.
- 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes
- Can they think me […] their fool or jester?
- 1975, Foghat, "Fool for the City" (song), Fool for the City (album):
- I'm a fool for the city.
- 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes
- (slang, chiefly African-American Vernacular) Buddy, dude, man.
- 2010, G.C. Deuce, From the Gutter to the Grave: An American Hood Novel, Xlibris Corporation (?ISBN), page 291:
- Upon opening the door, Trech was suddenly drawn aback by the shocking presence of the armed goon standing directly in front of him. “Yo, what up fool? […] ”
- 2012, Peron Long, Livin' Ain't Easy, Urban Books (?ISBN)
- “What up, fool?” he finally responded. “Not too much; fell asleep watching your boys get their asses kicked,” I told him, referring to the Carolina Cougars, the last team he played for before he got sick.
- 2014, Hitta Lo, Bracing Season I, Kaleidoscopic Publishing (?ISBN)
- Fame leaves out the house and walks to the BP gas station on Alabama Avenue. On the way there he sees his man Mark posted up at the rec center and walks over to holla at him. “What’s up fool?” Mark says while dapping Fame up.
- 2018, Keith L. Bell, Drought Season Over: The Sequel, Xlibris Corporation (?ISBN)
- “What up fool?” Lil Slim said noticing the seriousness in Lil Kilo’s voice. “You ain’t switched up on us have you.” Lil Fresh looked at Lil Kilo like where that come from. “Nigga I’ll neva switch up.” Lil Slim said feeling a little offended.
- 2020, J. Lewis Johnson, A Dark Night in the Fieldhouse:
- [page 10:] "I knew you'd be scared," Reggie laughed. "What are you doin', foo? You must be crazy. You don't scare me." "Then why did you almost fall out of that chair? I scare everyone."
- [page 38:] "This is coo," said Fred. "It's almost like being there." "We are there, foo!" said Reggie as the boys slapped palms.
- 2010, G.C. Deuce, From the Gutter to the Grave: An American Hood Novel, Xlibris Corporation (?ISBN), page 291:
- (cooking) A type of dessert made of puréed fruit and custard or cream.
- an apricot fool; a gooseberry fool
- (often capitalized, Fool) A particular card in a tarot deck, representing a jester.
Synonyms
- (person with poor judgment): See also Thesaurus:fool
- (person who entertained a sovereign): jester, joker
- (person who talks a lot of nonsense): gobshite
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
fool (third-person singular simple present fools, present participle fooling, simple past and past participle fooled)
- To trick; to deceive
- 1918, Florence White Williams, The Little Red Hen
- She bit it gently and found that it resembled a worm in no way whatsoever as to taste although because it was long and slender, a Little Red Hen might easily be fooled by its appearance.
- 1918, Florence White Williams, The Little Red Hen
- To act in an idiotic manner; to act foolishly
- 1681/1682, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar
- Is this a time for fooling?
- 1972, Judy Blume, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (page 56)
- She's always complaining that she got stuck with the worst possible committee. And that me and Jimmy fool more than we work.
- 1681/1682, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:deceive
Derived terms
Translations
Adjective
fool (comparative fooler or more fool, superlative foolest or most fool)
- (informal) Foolish.
- 2011, Gayle Kaye, Sheriff Takes a Bride
- That was a fool thing to do. You could have gotten yourself shot
- 1909, Gene Stratton-Porter, A Girl of the Limberlost
- Of all the fool, fruitless jobs, making anything of a creature that begins by deceiving her, is the foolest a sane woman ever undertook.
- 2011, Gayle Kaye, Sheriff Takes a Bride
Derived terms
References
Anagrams
- Olof, floo, loof
Middle English
Etymology 1
From Old French fol (French fou (“mad”)) from Latin follis.
Noun
fool
- Alternative form of fole (“fool”)
Adjective
fool
- Alternative form of fole (“foolish”)
Etymology 2
From Old English fola.
Noun
fool
- Alternative form of fole (“foal”)
Rohingya
Etymology
From Sanskrit ???? (p?gala)
Noun
fool
- mad man
fool From the web:
- what fools these mortals be
- what fools these mortals be quote
- what fools these mortals be writer
- what fool means
- what fools believe lyrics
- what fools these mortals be seneca
duffer
English
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /?d?f?/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?d?f?/
- Rhymes: -?f?(?)
Adjective
duffer
- comparative form of duff: more duff
Noun
duffer (plural duffers)
- (informal) An incompetent or clumsy person.
- (sports) A player having little skill, especially a golfer who duffs.
- (archaic) A pedlar or hawker, especially one selling cheap or substandard goods.
- (archaic) Cheap or substandard goods sold by a duffer.
- A cow that does not produce milk.
- 1908, Proceedings of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago, Volume 8, page 116,
- We have some good cows in this State, but, unfortunately, we have too many duffer cows that are not only being fed and milked at a loss hut are eating up a portion of the profit of the good cow which is being milked alongside them.
- 1934, Victorian Department of Agriculture, Journal of Agriculture, Volume 32, page 293,
- The truth is that cattlemen love a typical cow for her beauty and symmetry of form ; but every herd-testing dairyman knows that an ugly animal may be a good producer, while many a beautiful cow is a duffer.
- 1908, Proceedings of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago, Volume 8, page 116,
- (Australia, dated) A cattle thief or thief of other livestock; one who alters the brands of cattle.
- 2011, Clancy Tucker, Gunnedah Hero, unnumbered page,
- The cattle duffer?s escape would have been impeded by those young ones. Calves can be unruly unless you move them carefully in the company of their mothers.
- 2011, Clancy Tucker, Gunnedah Hero, unnumbered page,
- A racing pigeon that does not perform well.
- (entomology) Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Discophora.
Synonyms
- (incompetent person): see Thesaurus:unskilled person
- (livestock thief): see Thesaurus:rustler
Translations
Anagrams
- ruffed
duffer From the web:
- what duffer means
- what duffers shot for
- what duffers shoot for crossword
- what different crystals mean
- what dufferin mean
- duffer what does it mean
- duffer meaning in urdu
- what is dufferin county
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