moffie, adjective and & noun
/ˈmɔfi/
- Forms:
- Also moffee.
A. adjective
1. obsolescent. Of an animal: mof adjective sense 1.
1948 O. Walker Kaffirs Are Lively 33The official delivered a homily on the dangers of moffie cattle — the Afrikaans word for soft breeds, unsuited to the tough African heat and veld, which derive from crossing with English stock.
B. noun slang.
1. offensive. A derogatory name for: a. an effeminate man; b. a homosexual man; c. a transvestite; d. a man perceived to be weak-spirited or lacking in the physical toughness associated by some with manliness. Also attributive.
- Note:
- Occasionally used also in general English (pronounced /ˈmɒfɪ/) in the sense of ‘effeminate man’.
1954 Drum Jan. 12‘Madame’ (as Joey is known on the stage) leads a troupe of brilliant Coloured female impersonators who perform their popular ‘Moffee Concerts’ to packed houses.
1992 P. Dobson Informant, Cape Town, Western CapeMoffie,..Effeminate person, softie. eg. ‘Last one in’s a moffie’.
e. comb.
moffiegevaar/-xəˈfɑː(r)/ nonce [Afrikaans, gevaar danger; by analogy with swart gevaar], ‘moffie peril’, used of attitudes or statements which incite fear or hatred of homosexuals.
1990 M. Venables in Weekend Mail 5 Oct. 15Rooigevaar, Swartgevaar and even Moffiegevaar.
2. Denoting an animal: a hermaphrodite.
1971 M. Britz Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)We had a pig that was a moffie — a real hermaphrodite.
1983 C. Barnard in Daily Dispatch 21 Mar.A kind of fish species in which you can’t tell the difference between male and female. I think the South African word is moffie.
Of or pertaining to someone lacking in toughness, or to something perceived to be unmanly or ‘delicate’.
an effeminate man;
a homosexual man;
a transvestite;
a man perceived to be weak-spirited or lacking in the physical toughness associated by some with manliness. Also attributive.
a hermaphrodite.
- Derivatives:
- Hence (sense B 1) moffette noun nonce, a lesbian; moffiedom noun, homosexuals collectively; the homosexual lifestyle.1977 Drum July 47 (caption)Moffies..have been engaged in meticulous research to trace their ancestors right back to the days of Van Riebeeck. Jackie Heyns gives..an exclusive insight into the early days of moffiedom.1990 S. Gray in Staffrider Vol.9 No.1, 54Moffiedom is a flourishing and flamboyant part of the Cape lifestyle.
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