subs. (old).—1.  A loutish simpleton: see BUFFLE and CABBAGE-HEAD. Hence OAFDOM = the world of louts; OAFISH = stupid.—B. E. (c. 1696); GROSE (1785).

1

  1621.  BURTON, The Anatomy of Melancholy, I. ii. IV. vi. 229 (1836). Though he be an AUFE, a ninny, a monster, a goos-cap.

2

  1627.  DRAYTON, Nymphidia, 79.

        Say that the Fairy left this OAF
    And took away the other.

3

  1633.  FLETCHER and SHIRLEY, The Night-Walker, or the Little Thief, i. 4. The fear of breeding fools and OAFS.

4

  1668.  DRYDEN, An Evening’s Love, ii. This Master of mine that stands before you, without a word to say for himself, so like an OPH, as I may say with reverence to him.

5

  1693.  CONGREVE, The Old Batchelor, v. 6. Sharp. Death! it can’t be—an OAF, an ideot, a wittal.

6

  1700.  CONGREVE, The Way of the World, Prologue.

        With Nature’s OAFS ’tis quite a diff’rent Case,
For Fortune favours all her Idiot-Race.

7

  1706.  FARQUHAR, The Recruiting Officer, iii. 1. What’s that to you, OAF?

8

  1773.  GOLDSMITH, She Stoops to Conquer, IV. You great ill-fashioned OAF, with scarce sense enough to keep your mouth shut.

9

  18[?].  BYRON, Verses Found in a Summer House at Hales-Oven.

        This guiltless OAF his vacancy of sense
Supplied, and amply too by innocence.

10

  1853.  THACKERAY, Barry Lyndon, iii. 45. Her chair had been stopped by a highwayman; the great OAF of a servant-man had fallen down on his knees armed as he was.

11

  1883.  A. DOBSON, Old-World Idylls, ‘Une Marquise,’ 34.

        We have passed from Philosophe-dom
  Into plainer modern days,—
Grown contented in our OAFDOM,
  Giving grace not all the praise.

12

  1892.  MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, 68. I’ll ’owl at sich OAFS till I’m ’oarse.

13

  2.  (old).—See quot.

14

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew. OAF, a Wise-acre.

15