alakefik
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Cyprus
Age: 91
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Like the vast majority of English speaking people my knowledge of Arabic, for this is certainly an Arabic expression, is purely aural but may I suggest that it's an Anglo-Saxon corruption of two words. Arabic “kiffak”, or more formally “kif hallak” meaning thanks, and “Allah”. So “Allah kiffak” means “thanks be to God”; an expression heard more commonly in English 70 years ago. Nowadays “Insh' Allah” is more often used.
Thread Starter
Lancman, thank you, that is a believable etymology. I shall adopt it pro tem.
Alakefik
I think there's an explanation of the term somewhere in George MacDonald Fraser's McAuslan books (McAuslan in the Rough, The General Danced at Dawn or The Sheik and the Dustbin). His understanding was undoubtedly informed by his own service in Libya. I've not read them for a while (they're too funny to bear more than once a decade) but, if I recall correctly, MacDonald Fraser suggests it means 'can't be bothered'.
