jeudi 14 décembre 2006

Why do we call an enthusiastic amateur a “buff”?

A buff is someone with a keen interest in a subject that is not related
to his or her profession. The term was coined by New York firemen,
who were often hindered by crowds who gathered at fires either to help
or stand around and criticize. At the time, around 1900, most winter
coats worn by the spectators were made of buffalo hide, and from those
the firemen came up with the derogatory term “buffs” to describe those
pesky amateur critics.

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