goef, verb intransitive

/ɡʊf/
Forms:
Also ghoef, goof.
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Adaptation of colloquial Afrikaans ghoef to swim (perhaps echoic).
slang
Especially in the language of school-children: to swim.
1970 Informant, Pietersburg (now Polokwane)Let’s go goeffing at Hillcrest this afternoon.
1970 T. Ray Informant, Cedara, KwaZulu-NatalSome of us ous went goofing at Dick’s cabin. After this we were so hungry, that we polished off all the graze in the joint.
1970 M.C. Duffy Informant, Durban, KwaZulu-NatalGhoef. To swim.
1970 Beeton & Dorner in Eng. Usage in Sn Afr. Vol.1 No.2, 11Ghoef,..schoolboyism for ‘swim’ or ‘go swimming’.
1974 Daily Dispatch 30 Oct. 1‘Bread’ is money..and ‘tackies’ is used not to describe tennis shoes but car tyres. ‘Goef’ is to swim.
1975 ‘Blossom’ in Darling 12 Feb. 119‘Aren’t we gonna goef?’ I screech. ‘In this heat?’...‘Shore, we gonna goef. I jis said, no cozzie.’
1987 Fair Lady 21 Jan. 144Surely there are no longer 14 year olds talking of..goeffing in the Linden Municipal Baths.
to swim.
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childrens language
slang
goef, nounn.goeie môre, phrasephr.
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