different between idiosyncrasy vs gaffe

English

Etymology

First attested in 1604, in modern sense since 1665, from Ancient Greek ????????????? (idiosunkrasía, “one’s own temperament”), from ????? (ídios, “one’s own”) + ??? (sún, “together”) + ?????? (krâsis, “temperament”). Analyzable as idio- +? syn- +? -crasy.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??d??(?)?s??k??si/
• IPA^(key): /??d.i.???s??.k??.si/
• IPA^(key): /??di.??s??k??si/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??dio??s??k??si/
• Hyphenation: idio?syn?crasy

Noun

idiosyncrasy (plural idiosyncrasies)

1. A behavior or way of thinking that is characteristic of a person.
2. A language or behaviour that is particular to an individual or group.
3. (medicine) A peculiar individual reaction to a generally innocuous substance or factor.
4. A peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify.

Synonyms

• eccentricity
• foible
• habit
• mannerism
• oddity
• quirk
• vagary

Derived terms

• idiosyncratic
• idiosyncratically

Translations

See also

References

• idiosyncrasy in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• idiosyncrasy in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

English

Alternative forms

• gaff

Etymology

From French gaffe (“blunder”). Doublet of gaff.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?æf/
• Rhymes: -æf

Noun

gaffe (plural gaffes)

1. A foolish and embarrassing error, especially one made in public.

   Synonyms: blooper, blunder, mistake, error, slip, slip-up; see also Thesaurus:error

Translations

See also

• malapropism
• Freudian slip
• Bushism

French

Etymology

From Old Occitan gaf (“clasp”), from Gothic ???????????????????? (gafah, “clasp”, noun), from ????????- (ga-, intensifier) + ???????????????????? (fahan, “to catch”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?af/
• Rhymes: -af

Noun 1

gaffe f (plural gaffes)

1. gaffe, blunder, goof-up (North American), cock-up (British)

Derived terms

• faire gaffe

Descendants

• ? Portuguese: gafe

Noun 2

gaffe f (plural gaffes)

1. (nautical) boathook

Further reading

• “gaffe” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

German

Pronunciation

Verb

gaffe

1. inflection of gaffen:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. singular imperative
   3. first/third-person singular subjunctive I

Italian

Noun

gaffe f

1. plural of gaffa

Noun

gaffe f (invariable)

1. gaffe, blunder, boob