Posted by Peter Ceresole on October 20, 2003 at 18:48:44 from 80.177.22.49 user PeterC.
In Reply to: inspiration for "duffer"? posted by Jonathan Labaree on October 20, 2003 at 16:06:32:
is there any chance that this is AR’s inspiration for the wording of the famous cable from Cmdr Walker? or is/was “duffer” a pretty common word to describe the nautically challenged.
I think it was a very common word for somebody clumsy or foolish- not just in boats.
The Oxford dictionary gives 'origin uncertain'. But it was certainly well before Childers used it.
(Sad that they no longer put 'origin obscure'. It was such a nice phrase...)