spoof

The definition of a spoof is a parody of a film done for fun.

Characteristics of a Spoof

  • Exaggerated stereotypes
  • Exaggerated and/or superfluous actions (violence with no consequences or pointless visual gags)
  • Entire scenes that have no bearing on the story and only exist for humor’s sake
  • Mocking of other film genres, films, or iconic scenes from specific films
  • Sarcasm
  • Characters with silly names or names with obvious meanings (the characters may even comment on the meanings of their or other characters’ names)
(noun)

  1. An example of a spoof is the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail when Lancelot kills all those people at the wedding in his efforts to rescue the prince he believes to be a princess.
  2. An example of spoof is the whole Scary Movie series which mocks pop-horror films: Spaceballs mocks Star Wars, and Top Secret! mocks scenes from several James Bond and Elvis Presley films as well as one scene from The Wizard of Oz.
  3. An example of spoof is the character named Deja Vu in In Top Secret! whose first line is, “Have we not met before monsieur?”

Spoof is to imitate someone and exaggerate his features to be funny, or to play a trick on someone.

(verb)

  1. When you play a trick on a friend, this is an example of a time when you spoof your friend.
  2. When you imitate a political figure and exaggerate his manner of speech for fun, this is an example of a time when you spoof him.

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See spoof in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

  1. a joke, or deception
  2. a light parody or satire

Origin: orig. a game involving hoaxing and nonsense, invented (c. 1889) by Arthur Roberts (1852-1933), Brit comedian

transitive verb, intransitive verb

  1. to fool; deceive
  2. to satirize in a playful, amiable manner

Related Forms:

See spoof in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. Nonsense; tomfoolery.
  2. A hoax.
  3. A gentle satirical imitation; a light parody.
transitive verb spoofed, spoof·ing, spoofs
  1. To deceive.
  2. To do a spoof of; satirize gently.

Origin:

Origin: After Spoof, name of a game invented by Arthur Roberts (1852-1933), British comedian

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Word History: We are indebted to a British comedian for the word spoof. Sometime in the 19th century Arthur Roberts (1852-1933) invented a game called Spoof, which involved trickery and nonsense. The first recorded reference to the game in 1884 refers to its revival. It was not long before the word spoof took on the general sense “nonsense, trickery,” first recorded in 1889. The verb spoof is first recorded in 1889 as well, in the sense “to deceive.” These senses are now less widely used than the noun sense “a light parody or satirical imitation,” first recorded in 1958, and the verb sense “to satirize gently,” first recorded in 1927.

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