Cute little duffer

Posted by Smokey Stover on July 18, 2008 at 01:04

In Reply to: Cute little duffer posted by Victoria S Dennis on July 17, 2008 at 18:25:

: : Has anyone ever heard an individual or animal referred to as "a cute little duffer?"

: No. It's not exactly complimentary, as in British English a "duffer" is a blundering fool, and in Australian English I gather it means a swindler, specifically one who falsifies marks of ownership on cattle. (VSD)

In the U.S. it is often used with golf-players who are not very good even as amateurs. And its use in other areas tends to mean amateur, probably not a very good amateur but accepted as such without any attitude, Americans rarely say "blundering fool" in any context, but the implied attitude is just not present with "duffer."

As to "little duffers," I cannot say I haven't heard the expression. Perhaps it will come to me.
SS