29 July 2016

naff

[naf]

Chiefly British Slang.

Spell Syllables

adjective

1. unstylish; lacking taste; inferior.
verb (used without object)
2. to goof off; fool around (often followed by around or about).
Verb phrases
3. naff off, go away: used as an exclamation of impatience.

Related forms

naffness, noun

Dictionary.com

Contemporary example

It’s a pity, I think, that comment threads, Facebook discussions and Twitter feeds aren’t moderated by everyone’s mothers, because the world would probably be a much nicer place if they were. If that sounds naff … well, OK, it is. But it’s worth pondering how much of modern life is made awful by the open sewer that passes for public discourse around everything from politics to … well, everything.
Ghosts of extreme free speech could haunt Twitter
John Birmingham
25 July 2016

Today’s quote

If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.

– Vincent Van Gogh

On this day

29 July 1565 – marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots, to her cousin, Lord Darnley.

29 July 1836 – the Arc de Triomphe is inaugurated in Paris.

29 July 1848 – the failed nationalist Tipperary Revolt against English rule, which occurred during the Great Potato Famine in Ireland.

29 July 1860 – birth of Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901 and Governor of Bombay from 1903 to 1907. Lamington is credited with commissioning the creation of one of Australia’s most iconic desserts, the lamington. Numerous stories abound regarding the origin of the lamington, but generally Lamington’s chef (French-born Armand Gallad) is believed to have created it when he was ordered to prepare a morning tea for Federation celebrations being held by Lady Lamington. Rumour has it that Gallad cut up some left-over sponge cake, dipped it in chocolate and covered it in coconut. It should be noted that coconut was not a well-known or popular ingredient at that time, but Gallad was aware of it as his wife was from Tahiti, where coconut was a staple ingredient.

29 July 1890 – death of Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch painter. Born 30 March 1853.

29 July 1907 – the Boy Scouts formed in England by Sir Robert Baden-Powell.

29 July 1948 – the XIV Olympiad is opened in London by King George VI. This is the first Olympiad since the XI Olympiad in Berlin in 1936. The XII and XIII Olympiads for 1940 and 1944 respectively, were not held because of World War II.

29 July 1949 – first broadcast by BBC radio.

29 July 1981 – Prince Charles and Lady Dianna Spencer wed in London.

29 July 1989 – Burmese authorities imprison Aung Sun Suu Kyi even though her political party won 59% of votes in the election. She rose to prominence following her role in the ‘8888’ Uprising on 8 August 1988.