Ofaginzy redux--("au fait" = socially proper, genteel)

[Cohen, Gerald Leonard]

    A few days ago I promised to send information on black slang "ofay" (white person) deriving from "au fait" (socially proper, genteel).  This use of "au fait" doesn't exist in standard French but does (or at least did) exist in limited use in black speech.

1) Note Robert Gold's _Jazz Talk_ (under "fay/ofay"), which presents three possible etymologies for the term; the second is: "Jazz critic Martin Williams suggests that the term may derive from Louisiana Creole parents' admonition to children, 'au fait' -- show good manners à la genteel whites."

2) In _Music Is My Mistress_ (by Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington), 1973, p. 12, Ellington writes: "When I first went to Europe on the Olympic in 1933 I felt so au fait with all that silverware on the table."

3) Judge (humor magazine, published in NYC), March 14, 1896, p. 169; in a cartoon with all black characters "Miss Snoflaike" [spelling: sic] has asked whether Professor Johnson or Deacon Ketchum has the proper handshake.  Mr. Jackson replies: "Wha, dey's bofe quite au fait..."

    Standard French has (être) au fait (de) "to be informed of." Perhaps the Louisiana Creole parents who admonished their children with "au fait!" had in mind that the children should be informed as to what was proper.

   Those who were most au fait (proper/genteel) were the whites, i.e., the ofays.  To African-American recipients of less than genteel treatment from whites, the dual au fait/ofay probably evoked some sarcasm.  Hence the derogatory use of "ofay."

   Note again my two relevant articles from Studies in Slang, vol. VI (by Gerald Leonard Cohen and Barry A. Popik), Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 1999:

1)  'Black slang _ofay_ "white person" derives from _au fait_ "socially proper; genteel",' pp. 48-51.

2) 'Black slang _ofaginzy_ "white person," pp.52-53.

Gerald Cohen

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