Philip  +  231639 Fri, 02 Jun 06 02:10 AM It seems to me I have heard "poof" in British Englsih to mean 'homosexual' and 'drunk'.  Any comments from England?  Is the pronunciation more as in "moon" or less rounded, somewhere between "moon and "puff"? Thanks! Philip Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005 Veteran Member 8,738 At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen Pronunciation

	Marius Hancu  +  231640 Fri, 02 Jun 06 02:17 AM ---------- Main Entry:poof    Pronunciation:püf, pf Variant(s):also poove \püv, pv\ Function:noun Inflected Form(s):-s Usage:Britain Etymology:  probably alteration of 2puff : a male homosexual Merriam-Webster Unabridged ---------- Marius Hancu Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006 Veteran Member 11,673 Nouns, Pronunciation, Images

	MrPedantic  +  232415 Sun, 04 Jun 06 04:23 PM Hello Philip I've only heard it for "homosexual", not "drunk". It's usually pronounced with the -oo- as in "look". It was common in the 60s and 70s, but is now mostly used as a deliberately "retro" phrase. (For instance, there's a singing group called "Four Poofs and a Piano".) MrP MrPedantic Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004 Veteran Member 12,592 ...opella forensis / adducit febris...

	Marius Hancu  +  232448 Sun, 04 Jun 06 09:08 PM Jonathon Green, the author of Slang Dictionary, who lives in UK as far as I know, doesn't mention the drunk meaning. Also it isn't mentioned at this UK slang dictionary site: ---- http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/p.htm poof Noun. 1. A male homosexual. Also 'puff'. Derog. 2. A feeble, despicable person. Derog. ----- Marius Hancu Nouns

	Clive  +  232469 Sun, 04 Jun 06 11:29 PM Hi guys, When I lived in England, I often heard the form 'poofter', meaning a gay person. At that time, the term 'poove' was used to describe someone with a hint of gayness (gaiety?) but the term focused more on such a person having intellectual pretensions. Today, in Canada at least, we have what seems to me to be a somewhat similar idea in the term 'metrosexual'. I hope that discussing these terms does not give offence to gay people. My apologies if it does. Best wishes, Clive Clive Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004 Canada Veteran Member 29,627 El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo