Author Topic: New word suggestion: defo  (Read 1787 times)

anona

  • Paronomaniac
  • ******
  • Posts: 442
    • View Profile
New word suggestion: defo
« on: November 23, 2018, 11:43:01 PM »
The FOUNDRIES game: defo, slang for definitely, is in a number of online dictionaries and I'm suggesting it be considered for inclusion as rare (because described as British). Even though it's a word I would never use, it's definitely one I know.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2018, 11:44:57 PM by anona »

yelnats

  • Cryptoverbalist
  • *
  • Posts: 750
    • View Profile
    • Burke Rd billabong reserve & Friends of Herring Island
Re: New word suggestion: defo
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2018, 09:24:22 PM »
Never heard of it in Oz.

Katzmeow

  • Logologist
  • **
  • Posts: 84
    • View Profile
Re: New word suggestion: defo
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2018, 03:05:58 PM »
Me neither here in Tassie (Oz)
My truth may not be your truth.  That makes neither of us right or wrong, only different.

anona

  • Paronomaniac
  • ******
  • Posts: 442
    • View Profile
Re: New word suggestion: defo
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2018, 06:03:53 PM »
Mmm, well, that confirms it's British, as many of the online dictionaries said. Apart from the Oxford, which spelt it with two fs, they all spelt it with one (Collins, wiktionary, internet slang, Macmillan dictionary, yourdictionary, thefreedictionary). The Outback Aussie slang  dictionary's definition was "Crack on", short for definitely.

Katzmeow

  • Logologist
  • **
  • Posts: 84
    • View Profile
Re: New word suggestion: defo
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2018, 02:40:25 PM »
Quote
Crack on

 :-P  New one one me.
My truth may not be your truth.  That makes neither of us right or wrong, only different.

nineoaks

  • Word-meister
  • ****
  • Posts: 177
  • Florence, Oregon
    • View Profile
Re: New word suggestion: defo
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2018, 03:26:46 PM »


I'm not familiar with it.

Maudland

  • Cryptoverbalist
  • *
  • Posts: 916
  • London, UK
    • View Profile
Re: New word suggestion: defo
« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2018, 09:57:05 PM »
I know it from years spent in Liverpool - a good Scouse word!

birdy

  • Eulexic
  • ***
  • Posts: 3370
  • Brooklyn, NY
    • View Profile
Re: New word suggestion: defo
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2018, 05:21:05 PM »
I know the word but don't think I've ever heard it, and I wouldn't have thought of it if I was playing the game that day.

Alan W

  • Administrator
  • Eulexic
  • *****
  • Posts: 4961
  • Melbourne, Australia
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: New word suggestion: defo
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2018, 11:19:31 PM »
It's true this word is in some dictionaries, sometimes as deffo. But as you say, anona, it's often shown with a single F. The online Collins, for instance, gives defo as the primary spelling, with deffo as a variant.

I'll add both versions as rare words.

For the benefit of those who haven't encountered this term, a recent example from a travel article in the Scottish Sun:

Quote
But there is no doubt the highlight is the MASSIVE pool. It snaked round what seemed like acres of grounds, and was surrounded by luxuriously-padded loungers. Deffo no fighting for a sunbed on this trip, that’s for sure.

One thing that's unclear is where the word started. Green's Dictionary of Slang says deffo was originally Irish, though the earliest example given, from 1966, is from a book by Thom Keyes, a US-born author raised in the UK. The OED has a 2016 entry for deffo, which it says originated in Australia, backed up by a 1940 example from the Sunday Times of Perth, Western Australia:

Quote
Does the girl lend her escort money to take her out on the understanding that it's paid back on Friday?..But deffo!

The Macquarie has deffo for the definitely meaning, and defo meaning defamation. This latter usage I had not noticed before, but it does seem to be a well-used bit of lawyer's jargon, in Australia at least. For example, Buzzfeed reporter Laine Sainty tweeted the other day, "The Osman Faruqi v Mark Latham defo case has settled ..."
Alan Walker
Creator of Lexigame websites

anona

  • Paronomaniac
  • ******
  • Posts: 442
    • View Profile
Re: New word suggestion: defo
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2018, 11:57:25 PM »
Thank you for looking into this, Alan.