Talk:doofus

Is this British slang, or American? I have never encountered this in my 62-year life, most of it spent in Australia and the UK.202.78.156.200 09:46, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

I would call it American. --Florian Blaschke (talk) 01:58, 13 June 2017 (UTC)

It's at least American. I just came here after calling my coworker a doofus.Jawz101 (talk) 15:30, 6 September 2022 (UTC)

Etymology

Is there a reliable source for the alleged German origin, or was this just speculation on an editor's part? Centerone (talk) 08:31, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Probably not. The vowel seems wrong (it would be an o sound, not a u sound). Other dictionaries mention "goofus" and Scots "doof" as possible sources. It wouldn't surprise me if it was some combination of a blend, influence of similar terms, and/or pseudo-Latin. Or someone just made it up. Who knows? Chuck Entz (talk) 14:33, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

The vowel could be due to spelling pronunciation, though. Scots doof is also said to be from Low German (Low Saxon). Low German doof (possibly mediated through Scots or High German), with a jocular pseudo-Latin ending also found in some comparable German colloquial expressions originating from 17th/18th-century university students' slang, such as Dickus "fatso" from dick "fat" or Pfiffikus "sly dog" from pfiffig "sly, crafty", is simply the most plausible origin. --Florian Blaschke (talk) 01:58, 13 June 2017 (UTC)