释义 |
naff1 /naf /verb [no object] (usually in imperative naff off) British informal1Go away: she told press photographers to naff off...- Finally after two weeks of snottyness, the cold appears to have admitted defeat and naffed off back into the ether.
- So I'll naff off, and look like I'm doing something at work for once.
- But I'm sure I'll bung some things on tomorrow before I naff off.
1.1 (as adjective naffing) Used to emphasize annoyance: more naffing guidelines! Origin1950s: euphemism for fuck; compare with eff. The first recorded example of naff, meaning ‘lacking taste or style’, is from the script of the BBC radio programme Round the Horne by Barry Took and Marty Feldman (1966): ‘I couldn't be doing with a garden like this. I mean all them horrible little naff gnomes.’ One of the most popular theories about its origin is the suggestion that the word was formed from the initial letters of Normal As F— or Not Available For F—ing, but more likely is the idea that it is from Polari (a form of theatrical slang incorporating Italian words, rhyming slang, and Romany, used especially by gay people), and that it comes ultimately from Italian gnaffa ‘despicable person’. Naff off, meaning ‘go away!’, is probably a different word, which may be a variant of eff, as in ‘eff off!’ Its first recorded use is from Keith Waterhouse's novel Billy Liar (1959): ‘Naff off, Stamp, for Christ sake!’ It was often used in the script of the BBC comedy series Porridge as an acceptable substitute for the bad language characteristically used in prison, and in 1982 Princess Anne was famously supposed to have told reporters to ‘Naff off!’ when they photographed her after she had fallen from her horse.
Rhymescaff, carafe, faff, gaff, gaffe, Najaf, piaffe, Taff naff2 /naf /adjective British informalLacking taste or style: he always went for the most obvious melody he could get, no matter how naff it sounded...- This may sound naff, but I hold it to my heart and tell her I love her.
- Some of them sound okay, some sound naff, but they're mine and I stand by them.
- However, while this sounds like a naff publicity seeking idea, we really rather like it.
Derivativesnaffness noun ...- I don't have a single clue why I bothered, because the mere concept is depressing - this is the kind of hopeless naffness you get sucked into when you don't have a life.
- I don't think they were serious but it does show you the level of naffness and the extent to which criticism can bite.
- In mighty bright white, with black details down the sides, it's understated, easy to get dirty but still nice and without a hint of naffness.
Origin1960s: perhaps from Polari. |