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Duffers have never really been straight shooters-on or off the golf course. The original duffers of the mid-18th century were shysters of the first order, merchants who palmed off trashy goods as if they were highly valuable (they often implied to unwary buyers that the goods had been smuggled and were very rare). Over time, the meaning of duffer was extended from a no-good peddler to anyone who was "no good," not just because the individual had low morals, but because he or she was incompetent or stupid. The term has been applied to hopelessly bad golfers since the late 19th century.
Examples of duffer in a Sentence
Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 14 July 2024
For the first third of the 20th century even duffers had caddies and at Pinehurst that meant a Black man or boy.
—Craig Gill / Made By History, TIME, 13 June 2024
Unwinding with a cool glass of lemonade, the jointed old duffer in the lawn chair is simply propped in place.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2022
Erickson was her boat's duffer and responsible for the map, but had been too distracted socializing.
—Madison Karas, Star Tribune, 30 June 2021
See all Example Sentences for duffer 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'duffer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Duffer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duffer. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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