English word origin

Etymology of naff

Perhaps from Polari, 1960s. Further etymology unknown; perhaps a conscious corruption of either fanny or eff (off) (see naff off).

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

adj

Bad; tasteless, poorly thought out, not workable; tacky. · Heterosexual.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Perhaps from Polari, 1960s. Further etymology unknown; perhaps a conscious corruption of either fanny or eff (off) (see naff off).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pld",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Polari"
    },
    {
      "name": "unk",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "unknown"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "fanny",
      "fanny#English"
    ],
    [
      "eff (off)",
      "eff#English"
    ],
    [
      "naff off",
      "naff off#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Bad; tasteless, poorly thought out, not workable; tacky.",
        "Heterosexual."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Commonwealth",
        "Ireland",
        "Polari",
        "UK",
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "recordId": "0f270f1e33fe32d7b88b49351fcb6c28975e108fd65b40ded0d5fa47ad8cda96",
      "rawRecordSha256": "3118b3b7d43227ee3843a20b820dfb93764ff40ac22b97ef85d7b89129a5e129",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 15329
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for naff →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bmFmZg