fop (2009-10-22)

Part of Speech: noun

Pronunciation: [fahp]

Definition: A foolish, conceited male obsessed with outward appearance, a vain man who showily overdresses; a dandy; a coxcomb.

Usage: In the US, the zoot suiters of the 40s, with their baggy pants and long key chains, and the big city pimps of the 70s were the quintessential fops. But then you will find a bit of a fop in today's metrosexual. "Fop" was around long before "metrosexual" and its meaning pretty much covers that of the new, faddish term: "Dewey Rose is such a darling fopling; he kept checking his reflection in a silver vase throughout the meal, periodically adjusting his hair and eyebrows." One may dress the fop or play the fop; the point is, fops stand out in today's evermore informal society.

Suggested Usage: The noun is "foppery" and the adjective, "foppish," though wags have also tried "fopical" and "foppy." You can, too, if you are in a playful mood. There are heavy-weight fops and small or petty fops, called "foplings." I suppose this word could also refer to the offspring of fops who follow in their father's footsteps.

Etymology: The exact origin of today's word remains unclear but it seems related to German foppen "to kid, hoax." In Middle English it meant "fool" and was probably related to fob "a cheat" and the Middle English verb fop "act the fool" and "cheat, trick," both reflected in the current verb fob "to trick or deceive." How the definition slipped from these two senses to its current sense is a mystery.