Posted by Peter H on April 13, 2005 at 18:54:20 from 81.151.77.229 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: DUFFER - in posted by Ed Kiser on April 13, 2005 at 18:31:10:
From an Australian website – ‘in the 18th century ‘duffing’ was passing off a worthless article as valuable . . . in 19th century Australia a duffer was a cattle thief. From all this came a further spin: a person who was a bit useless, without practical ability, inefficient, incapable was called a duffer (not the real thing– not quite up to scratch).’
I wonder, therefore, if it was Mrs Walker who introduced the word ‘duffer’ to the family?