# where does THIS racial slur come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2001, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-this-racial-slur-come-from/69138 "2001-06-17T18:20:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-this-racial-slur-come-from/69138/1 "2001-06-17T18:20:48Z")
Anybody heard the term “ofay” for honkey or cracker? Any theories? Considering the OED is mute on the subject, this is clearly an area of conjecture. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-this-racial-slur-come-from/69138/2 "2001-06-17T18:33:37Z")
Ofay is _foe_ in Pig Latin. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-this-racial-slur-come-from/69138/3 "2001-06-17T18:51:09Z")
## The commonly seen etymology of ofay—Pig Latin for foe—is perhaps of less interest than the more likely story of this word’s origins. The word, which is first recorded in the first quarter of the 20th century, must have been in use much longer if it is, as some scholars think, borrowed from an African source. Although this source has not been pinned down, the suggested possibilities are in themselves interesting. One would trace it to the Ibibio word afia, “white or light-colored.” Another would have it come from Yoruba ofe, a word that was said in order to protect oneself from danger. The term was then transferred to white people, regarded as a danger to Black people throughout the wretched days of slavery and beyond. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition Copyright © 1992, 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-this-racial-slur-come-from/69138/4 "2001-06-17T18:51:35Z")
…but is probably not the derivation. JE Lighter says origin unknown. He discounts the pig Latin theory by saying that it is too well distributed around the world in literature. Here are his earliest cites: _n. Black English_ a white person.–usually used contemptuously. **1925**"We hear that Booker Red had three ofays on his staff. _adj. Black English_ -characteristic of whites; ethnically white. Also as adverb. **1911** “I saw a mardi-gras suit of clothes that might have been ‘ofay’ on a negro minstrel… They were made of wonderfully figured stuff and had red lapels.” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-this-racial-slur-come-from/69138/5 "2001-06-17T18:54:24Z")
From [The Bartleby link to the American Heritage Dictionary](http://www.bartleby.com/61/67/O0036700.html): > [@](#): > > **NOUN** : _Offensive Slang_ Used as a disparaging term for a white person. > **ETYMOLOGY** : Possibly of West African origin. > **WORD HISTORY** : The commonly seen etymology of _ofay_—Pig Latin for _foe_—is of less interest than the more likely story of this word’s origins. The word, which is first recorded in the first quarter of the 20th century, must have been in use much longer if it is, as some scholars think, borrowed from an African source. Although this source has not been pinned down, the suggested possibilities are in themselves interesting. One would trace it to the Ibibio word _afia_, “white or light-colored.” Another would have it come from Yoruba _ofe_, a word that was said in order to protect oneself from danger. The term was then transferred to white people, regarded as a danger to Black people throughout the wretched days of slavery and beyond. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-this-racial-slur-come-from/69138/6 "2001-06-17T19:49:35Z")
Here’s Lighter’s take on the African origin: “proposed African etyma remain dubious; nor is there convincing evidence for an origin in French _au fait_ ‘experienced; expert’;” This brings up a point we discussed [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=69476) about slang words coming from Africa. Most of them can be traced in print well into the last century, few having print origins as late as **ofay**. I’m sorry if I forget to give the whole of the reference I use when I just say “Lighter.” It’s properly titled _Random House Historical dictionary of American Slang, Vol. I-II_ edited by J.E.Lighter. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-this-racial-slur-come-from/69138/7 "2001-06-18T00:48:46Z")
Thanks, I was hoping for an African origin; the Pig Latin never seemed quite right. I always love it when etymologists dig up an African origin for anything Ebonic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chickenhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Chickenhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chickenhead)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-this-racial-slur-come-from/69138/8 "2001-06-18T01:51:54Z")
mr. OED say: > [@](#): > > In the use of American Blacks: an offensive term for ‘a white person’. Also attrib. or as adj. Cf. FAY n.4 > > 1925 Inter-State Tattler 6 Mar. 8 We hear that ‘Booker Red’ has three ofays on his staff. 1926 [see DICTY a.]. 1927 Amer. Mercury Dec. 392 Ugly people there are, certainly, but the percentage of beautiful folk is unquestionably larger than among the ofay brethren. 1932 Africa V. 506 The last of the five words contributed indirectly by Ibibio to the English language is Offay… The root of the word appears to come from the Ibibio Afia, white or light-coloured. Hence in Harlem Offay means any light-coloured person and therefore a European. 1936 MENCKEN Amer. Lang. (ed. 4) v. 214 The word ofay, which may have come from the French au fait (signifying mastery), is in general use in the Negro press of the United States to designate a white person. 1940 New Republic 7 Oct. 472 When he goes downtown to this civil-service office, they take him for ofay… One of them young ofay chicks what clerk down there, she even tries to flirt with him. 1946 Variety 23 Oct. 114 Boys start out with a Negro spiritual, with their inflection and harmony making it racially authentic, although they’re ofay. 1952 M. STEEN Phoenix Rising iii. 70 ‘Dey run him out.’ ‘What for?’ Karl sounded bored. ‘Got after Harry’s ofay chick’ 1956 B. HOLIDAY Lady sings Blues (1973) v. 52 Most of the ofays, the white people, who came to Harlem those nights were looking for atmosphere. Ibid. ix. 89 ‘What will people think?’ is a big deal in ofay circles. 1968 M. RICHLER Cocksure iv. 25 Was she amused by his dilemma? His ofay dilemma. 1971 Black World Apr. 62, I was attendant in the ofay ladies lounge. 1971 B. MALAMUD Tenants 48 Who are those cats, brothers or ofays? Ibid. 74 The black replies. ‘No ofay mother~fucker can put himself in my place.’ 1977 Amer. Speech 1975 L. 89 That this word [sc. Yoruba ofe] could have been brought to the United States by slaves is altogether possible… Thus ofay may be taken as a word said for self-protection in times of threat, which was then transferred to the source of threat, and so came to mean ‘whiteman’. ([www.oed.com](http://www.oed.com), which you can’t use unless you or your university etc. subscribes)