Date: Fri, 1 Mar 1996 17:05:47 -0500

From: john staczek camjon[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]GUVAX.ACC.GEORGETOWN.EDU

Subject: Re: koofer



Date: Thu, 29 Feb 1996 11:22:43 -0500 (EST)

From: "Connie C. Eble" cceble[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]email.unc.edu

Subject: Re: koofer



I have never received the term koofer from a student at the University of

North Carolina--nor have I ever heard of it. As a matter of fact, I have

never recieved any terms for 'files of tests' and precious few for

cheating of any kind. But I will ask this semester's students when they

return from break.

Connie



On Wed, 28 Feb 1996, Thomas L. Clark wrote:



Date: Wed, 28 Feb 1996 21:09:53 -0800

From: Thomas L. Clark tlc[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]NEVADA.EDU

Subject: koofer



After the midterm today, a grad student, originally from Virginia Tech,

asked if the exams were not beign returned because of koofers.



I was blank. She said at VT koofer meant "old test" and copies of them

were kept in koofer files in dorms, frats, ROTC offices.



Is this widespread college slang, Connie?



FWIW, we haven't heard of this term or of any other term for such

files either.



Jesse Sheidlower

Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang

jester[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]panix.com



I've been wondering about the term since I saw the first post. Is it

possible 'koofer' is some kind of corruption of 'coffer'? It seems to me

not unreasonable given some stressed vowel variation. It's just a thought.

John Staczek

Department of Linguistics

Georgetown University

camjon[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]guvax.georgetown.edu