loafer en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈləʊfə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈloʊfɚ/ (General-American)
Etymology
Perhaps short for landloafer, possibly a partial translation of German Landläufer (compare dialectal German loofen (“to run”), and English landlouper); or more likely connected to Middle English love, loove, loffinge, looffinge (“a remnant, the rest, that which remains or lingers”), from Old English lāf (“remainder, residue, what is left”) (more at lave), which is akin to Scots lave (“the rest, remainder”), Old English lǣfan (“to let remain, leave behind”) (more at leave).
Meanings
-
An idle person.
The garden was bounded by a three-foot brick wall with a fringe of wood rails upon the top, and against this wall was leaning a stalwart police constable, surrounded by a small knot of loafers, who craned their necks and strained their eyes in the vain hope of catching some glimpse of the proceedings within.
1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, page 39:Along this unequal way, where loafers sat on whittled benches, lounged in doorways, leaned against porch props, Dan Gustin went pegging in his high-heeled boots like a mule in a Mexican chain hobble, holding a straight course for the hotel, past the doors of temptation.
1923, George Washington Ogden, “Chapter 2”, in The Baron of Diamond Tail:
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A shoe with no laces, resembling a moccasin.
Someone must explain to Sunak about the time bomb ticking beneath his £1,000 loafers.
2023 May 31, Nigel Harris, “Comment: GBR now! We have no Plan B”, in RAIL, number 984, page 3:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| loafers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
penny loafer (footwear) · bumpkin (idle person) · idler (idle person) · yobbo (idle person) · footler (idle person) · lout (idle person) · yob (idle person) · bum (idle person)
Translations (85)
ga scraiste (idle person) · mk безде́лница (idle person) · fr paresseux (idle person) · fr fainéant (idle person) · pl leń (idle person) · ru безде́льник (idle person) · gl guillote (idle person) · ja ローファー (footwear) · sw lofa (idle person) · bg безделник (idle person) · id pantofel (footwear) · gl preguizán (idle person) · it perditempo (idle person) · bg лоуфър (footwear) · ru лентя́й (idle person) · it perdigiorno (idle person) · el τεμπέλης (idle person) · ga liairne (idle person) · hu léhűtő (idle person) · ga liúdramán (idle person) · de Faulenzer (idle person) · gl calaceiro (idle person) · pt sapatilha (footwear) · es mocasín (footwear) · oc pigre (idle person) · ru лоботря́ска (idle person) · de Gammler (idle person) · la cessātor (idle person) · gl palanquin (idle person) · fi tyhjäntoimittaja (idle person) · fr oisif (idle person) · pt vadio (idle person) · ru ло́дырь (idle person) · nl nietsnut (idle person) · fi louferi (footwear) · nv kébiiʼníʼdíʼisí (footwear) · it mocassino (footwear) · es comodón (idle person) · ru безде́льница (idle person) · pl arcyleń (idle person) · oc estaire (idle person) · pa ਲਫੰਗਾ (idle person) · gl pantrigueiro (idle person) · cy diogyn (idle person) · gl palafustrán (idle person) · ca gandul (idle person) · es haragán (idle person) · gl nugallán (idle person) · de Faulpelz (idle person) · mi karioi (idle person) · cy stelciwr (idle person) · de Bummelant (idle person) · mi kaikora (idle person) · hu naplopó (idle person) · ga lófaire (footwear) · pt folgado (idle person) · es holgazán (idle person) · de Loafer (footwear) · gl arlote (idle person) · it fannullone (idle person) · nl luilak (idle person) · yue 懶佬鞋 /懒佬鞋 (footwear) · ru лентя́йка (idle person) · gl vacaceiro (idle person) · gl galloufeiro (idle person) · de Slipper (footwear) · mi kaihau (idle person) · ja 怠け者 (idle person) · mi inukorokoro (idle person) · ru лежебо́ка (idle person) · de Schlüpfschuh (footwear) · ca gallof (idle person) · hu semmittevő (idle person) · de Trotteur (footwear) · nl leegloper (idle person) · es gandul (idle person) · mk бе́зделник (idle person) · gl lacazán (idle person) · de Bummler (idle person) · pl loafersy (footwear) · ru лоботря́с (idle person) · gl mocasín (footwear) · fr mocassin (footwear) · mi kaitahaumu (idle person) · mi parakūkā (idle person)