A book review in the Sunday Times today brought my mind to bear on the subject of Boffins.
When I was an apprentice at RAE, Boffins was an accepted term - they were incredibly bright people, usually with job titles like "Scientific Officer" who lived in worlds of their own, but were very dedicated and whilst you were never quite sure what they were up to, came up with brilliant ideas - like Concorde, carbon-fibre, the jet-engine, ion-thrusters for satellites, and so-on.
Brewers gives the following definition...
A nickname used by the RAF in WW2 for research scientists or "backroom boys". It passed into general use in the 1940s and is said to be from the practice of a certain scientist giving his colleagues Dickensian nicknames, Mr Boffin being a character in "Our Mutual Friend".
I'm sure I remember a different explanation in the front of a copy of Neville Shute's "No Highway" although I can't find it in the front of either of my copies. (Has anybody got a copy with the quote?.)
Alternatively, a 15 year old schoolboy of my current acquaintance has been known to use it (or a derivation, "boffy" - an adjective) as a term of abuse implying that somebody does too much schoolwork and should "get a life".
So I'm just curious, I've certainly used the term to describe myself on occasion, but how common is it still - and what are people's understandings of the term. Is it technically reserved for scientists and not engineers as Brewers seems to suggest? Is it only to be used to the male of the species (and if so, what's the female version of the word)?, and does it only apply to Brits, or are there foreign boffins out there?
G
N.B.
this is the book that was reviewed in the Sunday Times.