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