Naff?

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Naff? - 12 Oct. 2004 4:56:50

Anders

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What does the word naff mean? I saw in in the "middle class survey" on the McDonald's question but can't find it in my dictionary.

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RE: Naff? - 12 Oct. 2004 5:15:43

AngloSaxon

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Naff is a slang word that is much used in the UK. Its not something you would want to be called. I would call something naff that is old fashioned or tacky. It would be referred to something or someone you don't like.

You could also use it to say 'naff off' to someone who you want to get rid of from your company (as a slightly less offensive word to use instead of a swear word). So you can see Anders me old mate, it aint a nice word to use really.

(in reply to Anders)

Post #: 2

RE: Naff? - 12 Oct. 2004 5:21:52

Anders

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Thanks! Well, nice is what we want to be, isn't it, so let's naff-off the naff-word.

(in reply to AngloSaxon)

Post #: 3

RE: Naff? - 12 Oct. 2004 10:54:46

CalProf

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I've never heard "naff" or "naff off". There's no clear history of their origin. The first apparently means unstylish or outmoded, while the second means "get lost," but in a nastier way.

There are records of their use since the early 1980s, when Princess Anne famously used the first word. A popular Brit TV series in the 1970s called "Porridge" (about a prison) had used the second phrase, perhaps based upon an Australian acronym slang for Nasty As F..."

Origin theories for "naff" are: 1. it's backward slang for "fanny" which apparently has a different, more sexual female bodily meaning for Brits than in the U.S., where it means butttocks.
2. Gay men used the phrase "naff" to refer to a heterosexual man, who was Not Available For (sex).
3. There is a British dialect word "naffhead" meaning a simpleton or dunce.

I don't see how the "outmoded, cliched" meaning of "naff" is connected to the "insult, get lost" meaning of "naff off!" But language, especially slang, isn't logical.

If you'd like to know how to insult people in any of 164 different languages, I found this amusing website:

http://www.insultmonger.com/swearing/

(in reply to Anders)

Post #: 4

RE: Naff? - 13 Oct. 2004 1:08:55

Anders

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And when I tried to log in/on to that site, I found it was barred on my comp, so I'll just have to be insultive in the old regular ways I already know.

Funny what you said about "fanny" (!) though, it didn't occur to me that "naff" could be a backward word. I ought to have thought of that, the same is often done in my own language.

(in reply to CalProf)

Post #: 5

RE: Naff? - 14 Oct. 2004 0:27:22

CalProf

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Anders, it's too bad if you can't read the insults, especially those in Swedish. Here's one of the mildest: "Förbannade hönsjärna!"

(in reply to Anders)

Post #: 6

RE: Naff? - 14 Oct. 2004 1:02:25

Anders

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That one's pretty mild, yeah. There are cultural differences in swearing, as we all know, ours seem to be rather mild in comparison with for instance the ones from the Middle East for instance. most of ours involve Satan and/or the devil. we don't use so many words relating to sex or the genitals when we swear as many cultures do.

Personally I don't like swearwords, don't get me wrong, I'm far from being a saint, but I think there are much more intelligent expressions to use, when you feel the urge to put your foot down, than to just using swear words.

I'm sure some of these appear on the website. There's a book on my book shelf entitled "How to be abusive in five different languages", probably a bit like the website.

(in reply to CalProf)

Post #: 7

RE: Naff? - 14 Oct. 2004 1:03:43

Anders

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BTW, CalProf's Swedish insult means "bloddy chicken brain". Pretty mild, wouldn't you say?

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Post #: 8

RE: Naff? - 14 Oct. 2004 4:29:37

AngloSaxon

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The culture of swearing (or not) is odd in many ways. We all know what the words are and we all know when it is socially acceptable to use them or not. For instance to use bad language in public is a definate no-no, apart from possibly being in trouble with the police, others will not like you doing so.

Also as a fella I could attend a meeting or gathering of blokes and it would be acceptable to swear in such company, however if any ladies are present then it wouldnt be. There is also the class system, it is less socially acceptable for an upper or middle class person to swear but it is almost expected that a working class person is more likely to use bad language in the hearing of others.

Naff is one of those socially acceptable words that could be used instead of actually swearing.

(in reply to Anders)

Post #: 9

RE: Naff? - 15 Oct. 2004 7:14:39

PeteMarks

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I was surprised when I first arrived in the USA and was living on a new subdivision surrounded by homes still in the course of construction. I could hear loud chatter about sport etc but there was an almost complete lack of the profanity that one would experience on a similar building site back in the UK. No" f.....g" this or that, no references to genitalia. Just an occasional "s..t" as someone dropped their air-nailer on theit toe! Perhaps this was out of a realisation that they were not working on an isolated site and that there were families within earshot, but none the less it came as a pleasant surprise. To some extent I now observe that Holywood has had its influence and "freeking" is commonly used as an expletive.

Pete

(in reply to AngloSaxon)

Post #: 10

RE: Naff? - 15 Oct. 2004 7:29:12

AngloSaxon

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Whats in a word is what I ask. Sticks & stones comes to mind.

The class system comes into play even with swearing in the UK. It is deeemed to be 'common' to use too many expletives in conversation. As Pete says on a building site or anywhwere where there are workmen I would expect to hear lots of bad language in everyday conversation. Workmen or Tradesmen are still regarded as working class even where in some trades like builders or plumbing some can earn fairly high salaries.

Personally I don't swear much, having kids and working in an office environment where there are lots of women around you get out of the habit. Being upper class it is bad show to be seen to have such a poor command of the English language.

I suppose a lot of usage of bad language is just down to habit and upbringing!

(in reply to PeteMarks)

Post #: 11

RE: Naff? - 15 Oct. 2004 13:25:15

CalProf

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Anders, the words in the Swedish section of curses (on the website I listed) were much more shocking, and many were indeed about sexual themes. Of course we don't know how frequently they are used. I've read that Arab nations use many insults pertaining to animals, especially dogs and camels. Germans reportedly focus their curses on excretory functions. I'll go over the British section to see if there are favorite topics.

Isn't it reasonable to assume that a culture's curse words would be in a zone between (a) too weak to hurt the other person, and (b) too shocking to even be said, such as being offensive to god?

There is at least one scholarly research journal devoted to bad words, titled Maledicta ("bad language").

Does Britain have laws against public swearing and indecent talk? Are the laws enforced?

(in reply to AngloSaxon)

Post #: 12

RE: Naff? - 16 Oct. 2004 3:29:35

Ron Hann

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One expression which I used to hear used in Australia was ; May your chickens turn to emus and kick your fowlhouse down. Of course, at some times, fowlhouse would be omitted and s..thouse substituted. Shades of outdoor plumbing.

Apparently, some years ago, an Australian Church Official, who was based in outback Western Australia where the temperatures can get b....y hot, visited a Parish in the U.S.A. and the Editor of the local Parish Newsletter wrote "Where Pastor ..... has his area, the temperatures get so hot that he goes outback clad just in his shorts." I rather got the impression that it meant a whole lot different in each of the two Countries.