Etymograph

English

goof

Goof may come from English goff ‘foolish clown’.

  1. English1500–presentgoff‘foolish clown’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1986goof

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. English1500–presentgoff‘foolish clown’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1986goof

Earliest quotation: 1986, Attention Art World: “GCN is in a sticky situation because we goofed…”

The story

Perhaps from dialectal English goff (‘foolish clown’), from earlier goffe, in which case further etymology is uncertain.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.

Every English word from English goff

Today it means

noun A mistake or error.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / English goff / goof

Shirt and support for this word