Question for the Brits on my flist...

[themostepotente]

This is driving me absolutely fucking apeshit.

Is the correct spelling 'poof' or 'pouf?' I've seen it spelled both ways, and I'd like to know which spelling is correct?

Thanks!

--P

Comments

[furiosity.livejournal.com]

IANAB, but I did some research on this ages ago when it was driving me apeshit, and "pouf" is apparently a variant spelling that can be used, though to me it will always suggest a foot cushion.

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

That's fucking priceless. A foot cushion. You crack my shit up, doll.

[lyras.livejournal.com]

A foot cushion.

But it is. :D (Although I tend to spell it with the -ffe ending.)

[mizbean.livejournal.com]

Yep! I had a beta once tell me that she liked my fic but wondered why I kept calling Draco a foot stool.

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I've made that mistake in past fics. I'm kinda surprised that nobody had the balls to correct me :P

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

So I see. I really had no idea. I thought she was making that shit up! See, the internet is good for more than just porn. *G*

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

I agree with furiosity - I've only seen it as 'poof', whereas 'pouf' would suggest a foot cushion (also 'pouffe'). The pronounciation is the same, however, which can lead to hilarious situations whilst buying furniture. :)

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

One can only imagine the hilarity. *G*

[the-gentleman.livejournal.com]

Poof. Or pooftah if you're in a sketch show pretending to be an Australian, Bruce.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Snort! Nicely put!

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

OMG, TG! I haven't heard from you in aaages. How are you doing?

[tapedeck.livejournal.com]

Poof.

Pouf/pouffe is a footstool.

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

Thank you muchly :-)

[vissy.livejournal.com]

I'd say 'poof', but I'm Australian.

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

It's 'poof.' I've noticed you guys share a lot of language commonalities.

[bookofjude.livejournal.com]

Well, not a Brit, but for me, 'poof' is gay and 'pouf' is a footstool.

[bookofjude.livejournal.com]

Some backup:

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

I love my flist. They provide me with pictures. *G*

And OMG, how are you, hon? Good to hear from you :-)

[bookofjude.livejournal.com]

Great! Attempting to finish editing before my deadline and I go crazy. :))

[the-flic.livejournal.com]

Umm, I probably should have checked what everyone else replied with, but I'm saying poof. Pouf I'm certain, is the spelling for a piece of furniture that you can put your legs on :)

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

It's unanimously 'poof!' *G*

[snegurochka_lee]

Dude, I've been wondering this myself lately. A Britpicking friend/beta told me aaaages ago that it was 'poof' because 'pouf' reminded her of a pastry. I've never forgotten that, but I've seen 'pouf' around so much lately that I was starting to think I'd remembered it wrong.

*checks out other replies* :)

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

Aren't you glad you have me to ask all the silly questions? *G* It's definitely 'poof' for future reference.

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

Poof = gay person.
Pouf = foot cushion (a kind of rounded, puffy firm bean bag for the feet. Comfy).

CRAZY UNDEAD POOVER!

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

They do look comfy. My feet are now demanding I buy them a pouffle :P

[glorafin.livejournal.com]

Calanthe mentioned this a few months ago. And although 'poof' is the most widely used spelling, pouf is accepted by reference dictionaries to mean a gay man. I find 'poof' much more easy on the eye though.

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

What do you find aesthetically unpleasing about 'pouf?' I'm curious now that you mentioned that.

[glorafin.livejournal.com]

It's not really a question of aesthetics. It's just that my sense of spelling is mainly driven by how words look (both in my native tongue and in English) and "pouf" doesn't strike me as a correct English word. First, 'ou' is rarely pronounced in English as 'oo' (I can't think of any other word). Second, pouf is for me a French word (meaning the piece of furniture mentioned above) so it just looks like an obvious spelling mistake to me. :)

[drachenmina]

I've seen either spelling used, but poof is more common, cf Four Poofs and a Piano, who should know if anyone does.

You can also use poofter or woofter (less common).

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to check out that link later. Puter's lagging. It just sounds funny.

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Pouffes are can be made of leather and quite squishy, or they are an upholstered foot stool. I have my nanas pouf and it's similar to these Moroccan designs (http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.medina-online.co.uk/majesty1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.medina-online.co.uk/pouf.html&usg=__zFIeZDSktCn34ghqLl0i1QTr29w=&h=300&w=300&sz=19&hl=en&start=21&tbnid=LKCT7V_zugFbvM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpouffe%26start%3D18%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN).

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

*puts her feet up on your pouffle* Yup, that's comfy :-)