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Still a mystery as to the origin of the word. It almost certainly isn't Gullah of West African. It almost certainly isn't from "foe" in Pig Latin as that form of "Pig Latin" didn't really start until 1920 and "ofay" was around from at least the 1890s. It usually wasn't used in a derogatory way about whites, but rather just as a matter of fact expression. Quite often used in early Black newspapers in columns written about theatrical performers and that the "ofay" owned the theater in which the Black performers, er uh, performed.
It is really the most beautiful city of its kind in the South. It has all modern conveniences, electrical effects, etc, is situated near the harbor and the audiences are all ofays, principally foreigners.
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A word of unspecified West African origin that refers to "white" people. It's commonly used in the American South but has fallen out of favor as "White Devil" has assumed prominence.
This ofay at my job is jealous of my ability to get the job done faster and better than him. But he can't help his ofay ways.
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disparaging term for a Caucasian.
You big-haired trashy macaroni-and-cheese-eatin' ofay bitch!
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Term for White person used by Blacks, especially in the Low Country or Chicago in the early and mid 20th cent. It began as derivation of "fade" which would sometimes be varied as "fay" or "ofay". Eventually the variation replaced the original.
That ofay thinks he knows jazz.
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Insult to a white person from a black person meaning punk, cracker, bitch.
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Hostile term for white people. According to Edward Ball in The Sweet Hell Inside (a history of a mixed-race Charleston SC family), pig Latin for "foe." Dates to at least early 19th century.
"Who invited the ofay?" -- Autobiography of Malcolm X
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rather outdated Black English for "foe," origin unknown. See page 26 of the 1971 Bantam edition of Ann Fairbairn's novel Five Smooth Stones, where one of the African American characters, Geneva, defines it as meaning "foe" but gives no hint of etymology. I'd be tempted to go with the African origin.
Don't we know she a ofay _____? derogatory having to do with sexual conduct.
He just an ofay, that what he be.
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