A word of unspecified West African origin that refers to white people. Its commonly used in the American South but has fallen out of favor as White Devil has assumed prominence.

]]>https://definedictionarymeaning.com/topic/43633/ofayRSS for NodeMon, 15 Jun 2026 15:13:15 GMTMon, 17 Apr 2017 07:52:08 GMT60An offensive term for a white person, used by black people.

]]>https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/327569https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/327569Tue, 08 Dec 2020 04:44:02 GMT[punk],[cracker],[bitch]

]]>https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/327568https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/327568Tue, 08 Dec 2020 04:13:20 GMT[Pig Latin] for [foe], hence, [Whitey].

]]>https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/327567https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/327567Tue, 08 Dec 2020 04:13:20 GMTdirrogutory [term] for [white folk].

]]>https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/327566https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/327566Tue, 08 Dec 2020 04:13:19 GMTrather outdated Black English for foe, origin unknown. See page 26 of the [1971] [Bantam] edition of Ann Fairbairns novel Five Smooth Stones, where one of the African American characters, [Geneva], defines it as meaning foe but gives no hint of etymology. Id be tempted to go with the African origin.

]]>https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/327565https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/327565Mon, 04 Oct 2021 22:34:02 GMTTerm 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.

]]>https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/327564https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/327564Tue, 08 Dec 2020 04:13:18 GMTStill a mystery as to the origin of the word. It almost certainly isnt Gullah of West African. It almost certainly isnt from foe in Pig Latin as that form of Pig Latin didnt really start until 1920 and ofay was around from at least the 1890s. It usually wasnt 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.

]]>https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/94506https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/94506Fri, 27 Oct 2017 04:05:02 GMTInsult to a white person from a black person meaning punk, cracker, bitch.

]]>https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/94505https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/94505Thu, 20 Apr 2017 10:58:20 GMTdisparaging term for a Caucasian.

]]>https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/94504https://definedictionarymeaning.com/post/94504Thu, 20 Apr 2017 10:58:20 GMT