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  1. gaffer love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. An electrician in charge of lighting on a movie or television set.
  2. n. Chiefly British An old man or a rustic.
  3. n. Chiefly British A boss or foreman.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. One who gaffs fish: an angler's assistant who with a gaff secures the fish caught. Also gaffsman.
  2. n. An old man: originally a rustic term of respect, used as a title; later applied familiarly to any old man of rustic condition.
  3. n. In Great Britain, the foreman of a squad of workmen, especially of navvies; an overseer.
  4. n. A workman in a glass-factory; a finisher.

Wiktionary

  1. n. film A chief lighting technician for a motion-picture or television production.
  2. n. A glassblower.
  3. n. colloquial An old man.
  4. n. UK A foreman.
  5. n. An "Old Gaffer" is a sailor.
  6. n. In Maritime regions "the Little Gaffer" is the baby in the house. (the boss!)

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. An old fellow; an aged rustic.
  2. n. Prov. Eng. A foreman or overseer of a gang of laborers.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. an electrician responsible for lighting on a movie or tv set
  2. n. an elderly man
  3. n. a person who exercises control over workers

Etymologies

  1. Likely a contraction of godfather, but with the vowels influenced by grandfather. Compare French compère, German gevatter. (Wiktionary)
  2. Probably alteration (influenced by grandfather) of godfather. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “I've never heard (or at least never noticed) the word gaffer before and I think I'm probably more familiar with British forms than most Americans (not saying much).”

    languagehat.com: THE MOST UNTRANSLATABLE WORD.

  • “If you've ever watched the credits of a movie you've seen the word "gaffer"---he's the head electrictian on the set.”

    languagehat.com: THE MOST UNTRANSLATABLE WORD.

  • “The gaffer was a centrehalf and he wasn't bad was he That was a big thing for me hopefully he can make me into a better player.”

    Football.co.uk news feed

  • “The gaffer was a centre-half and he wasn't bad, was he?”

    Football.co.uk news feed

  • “Mr. Chihuly called Mr. Rubino a "gaffer," a term for a glassblower who labors around a furnace at the instruction of an artist.”

    Archive 2006-06-01

  • “If you're the kind of movie-goer who stays reading end credits until you're playing footsie with the usher, you have probably wondered: "What does a 'gaffer' do?" or, "Who's the 'best boy'?”

    Forbes: Hollywood Hard Hats

  • “I don't think "gaffer" fits the "respectful form of address to a professional".”

    languagehat.com: THE MOST UNTRANSLATABLE WORD.

  • “That same night Robert went to call on the "gaffer," Black Jock, and as he neared the door he met Mysie Maitland.”

    The Underworld The Story of Robert Sinclair, Miner

  • “scorchio" at 1300, and our gaffer is a powerful right-handed all-rounder from Preston who can turn a game with bat or ball.”

    BBC News | News Front Page | World Edition

  • “The great case itself had nothing to do with sport, and, indeed, from a narrative point of view, was somewhat uninteresting, but the man who alone held the one piece of information wanted was a keeper, backer, or "gaffer" of professional pedestrians, and it was through the medium of his pecuniary interest in such matters that Hewitt was enabled to strike a bargain with him.”

    Martin Hewitt, Investigator

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synonyms (1)

Words with the same meaning

  1. old man

hypernyms (7)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. electrician
  1. linesman
  1. lineman
  1. greybeard
  1. Methuselah
  1. old man
  1. graybeard

same context (24)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. geezer
  2. crone
  3. woman-hater
  4. pressin
  1. whatsomever
  2. storthing
  3. oldsters
  4. langer
  1. minut
  2. beldame
  3. chess-player
  4. wey
  1. graybeard
  2. here-at
  3. frith
  4. wumman
  1. nigher
  2. micht
  3. ey'n
  4. revealment
  1. fanzine
  2. ive
  3. saut
  4. troyer

reverse dictionary (5)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. gaff
  1. gaffsman
  1. gammer
  1. best boy
  1. goodman

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Word visualization

Lists

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Comments

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  • knitandpurl "Propped up against the stonework next to the building's entrance is a gaffer dressed in an antique variant of the Home Guard uniform, involving knickerbockers."
    Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, p 253 of the Avon Books paperback edition Jan 29, 2013

  • yarb On Cobble Road she stopped at Maltby's barn and stood gawking as the old gaffers pitched their ringing horseshoes and spat tobacco juice.

    - William Steig, The Amazing Bone Sep 29, 2008

  • gangerh The Head of the Lighting department. Aug 7, 2008

  • reesetee Yes. Yes you do. And that's all I'm going to say about that. Nov 9, 2007

  • sionnach As I understand it from some of your recent posts, reesetee, you need a glory hole for that. Nov 8, 2007

  • reesetee And none of them blow glass, I'll bet. Nov 8, 2007

  • chained_bear Gaffers are electricians. The grip hauls equipment around and assists with lighting, but doesn't handle electric stuff--rigging and stands, etc. Key grip is the head grip person. The best boy is generally the assistant or helper to either the gaffer or the key grip. Nov 8, 2007

  • uselessness Same here. I was meaning to ask the film crew yesterday, when I was surrounded by all manner of gaffers and best boys and grips, but they were frightfully busy (and a little on the rude side). Only one guy took the time to chat with me, and I don't think he would have known anyway. Nov 8, 2007

  • yarb I agree sionnach, and there's often a grip mixed up in there too, which makes it all the queasier. Nov 8, 2007

  • sionnach What I've always wondered about is the relationship between the gaffer and the best boy. Nov 8, 2007

  • yarb Also common British slang for a manager, especially of a football team. Nov 8, 2007

  • reesetee The master craftsman in charge of a chair, or team, of hot-glass workers. A corruption of "grandfather." Nov 8, 2007

  • brtom "Outside a shuttered pub a bunch of loiterers listen to a tale which their broken snouted gaffer rasps out with raucous humour."
    Joyce, Ulysses, 15 Jan 29, 2007

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‘gaffer’ has been looked up 2450 times, loved by 2 people, added to 20 lists, commented on 13 times, and has a Scrabble score of 13.