whuffo

English

Alternative forms

• wuffo

Etymology

Contraction of what for.

Adverb

whuffo (not comparable)

1. (US, colloquial, chiefly Southern US) Eye dialect spelling of what for.
   • 1952, Walt Kelly, Pogo, 6 April 1952 strip:

     [Alabaster:] Shhh, Uncle Pogo! We is lookin' for the Easter Bunny.
     [Pogo:] Whuffo you shushin' me? I isn't doin' nothin' but breathin'!

Noun

whuffo (plural whuffos)

1. (slang) A person who is not a skydiver.
   • 1991, New York Times, "The Executive Life; The Thrill of the Dive; The Roar of the Boss":

     "There's a wonderful sense of camraderie among skydivers," Mr. Ottley said. "It's like a secret fraternity." Initiates speak easily of "swooping" (joining a formation) and "funneling" (breaking one up). Outsiders are called "whuffos" -- shorthand for "What for you do that crazy stuff?" "You can always tell a whuffo right away," Mr. Ottley said. "They call the sport 'diving' instead of 'skydiving.' We think diving is what you do in a pool."