doofer en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈdufɚ/ (General-American)
- (General-American) audio
- /ˈduːfə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
Respelling of “do for”, as in “it will do for that job”.
Meanings
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(slang) An object whose name the speaker or writer cannot remember or does not know.
A certain factory manufactures two distinct products, ‘gadgets’ and ‘doofers’. […] The times required for these operations, the total time available per week, and the profit per gadget or doofer are as tabulated: […]
1981, Ian Stewart, “Applications of Modern Mathematics”, in Concepts of Modern Mathematics, Harmondsworth, Middlesex; New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, →ISBN; republished Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications, 1995, →ISBN, page 271:I opt for a CN Burger combo – basically, a hefty cheeseburger and fries, with a drink. […] I collect, together with serviettes (you ought to need serviettes with a burger!), and one of their patented "doofers" – an ingenious cardboard contraption designed to stop your burger's innards falling out – and return to eat it at work.
2012 April 27, “Rating the Burger Fuel burger”, in Stuff.co.nz, archived from the original on 14 Jun 2012:On top of the bar [of the bicycle] is a little rubber doofer that plugs a hole, into which a Garmin or Wahoo out-front mount can be inserted.
2018 February 28, Stu Bowers, “Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod Disc 2018 Review”, in Cyclist, archived from the original on 09 Aug 2018:Right-ho. Who's going to work the doofer? Lady? Right-ho.
1992, Dylan Thomas, “Margate – Past and Present”, in Ralph Maud, editor, On the Air with Dylan Thomas: The Broadcasts, New York, N.Y.: Published for James Laughlin by New Directions Publishing, →ISBN, page 114:
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(slang, specifically) An object whose name the speaker or writer cannot remember or does not know. ▸ The remote control for a television.
I was bombarded with hysterical Black Friday offers to upgrade my telly, my tablet, my computer, my phone and my DVD player. Why in the name of G5 would I want to do that? I already have to negotiate my way, weepily, round four doofers (as in “it’ll do for that”, aka a remote) just to watch I’m a Celebrity…
2014 November 28, Judith Woods, “Three cheers for Mariella and the ‘M’ word”, in The Daily Telegraph, archived from the original on 22 Jun 2017:From a very early age, my elder grandson took to calling the remote control for the TV the ‘doofer’. He didn't come up with the name himself. It was the name his parents used, and he just picked it up – the name, that is, not the doofer. Actually, he became very adept at negotiating his way around the doofer and even had to teach his grandfather how it worked. But then, children pick these things up very quickly – like the doofer and the way it operates. Our doofer is always getting lost. It's never there when you need it, and it's always somewhere you don't want it to be – […]
2014, Tom Gordon, “December 12 – Simplicity”, in Look Well to This Day: A Year of Daily Reflections, Glasgow: Wild Goose Publications, →ISBN, page 357:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| doofers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |