An oaf is a clumsy, slow, or foolish person, almost always a man when people use the word. It is the sort who knocks the table and then says the wrong thing.

An oaf一個oaf is a clumsy, slow, or foolish person是笨手笨腳、遲鈍或愚蠢的人, almost always a man說這個字時幾乎都是指男性 when people use the word. It它 is the sort就是那種人 who knocks the table會撞到桌子, and then says the wrong thing然後又說錯話的人.

It is an insult, though sometimes a soft one, the way you might call a friend a big oaf when they have been clumsy, not cruel. It is informal, and a little old; you would not put it in a school report.

It它 is an insult是一種罵人的話, though sometimes a soft one不過有時語氣比較輕, the way就像 you might call a friend a big oaf你可能會叫朋友big oaf when they have been clumsy, not cruel在他笨手笨腳時說的，不是惡意. It它 is informal是口語用法, and a little old而且有點過時; you你 would not put it in a school report不會把它寫進成績單評語裡.

Stories often picture an oaf as large, but the word is about the clumsy, blunt manner, not about size as a fact.

Stories故事裡 often picture an oaf as large常常把oaf畫成體型高大, but the word但這個字 is about the clumsy, blunt manner講的是笨拙、粗魯的樣子, not about size as a fact而不是真的在講體型.

Though actually, it probably comes from Old Norse álfr, “elf”. In old belief a dull or clumsy child might be explained as a changeling left by elves. So oaf and elf are, surprisingly, from the same root. Most people who say oaf are not thinking of elves at all.

Though actually不過事實上, it它 probably comes from Old Norse álfr可能來自古諾斯語álfr, "elf"意思是「精靈」. In old belief在古代的信仰裡, a dull or clumsy child一個遲鈍或笨拙的孩子 might be explained as a changeling left by elves可能會被解釋成精靈掉包留下的替身孩子. So所以, oaf and elf oaf和elf are, surprisingly, from the same root竟然是同一個字根. Most people大多數人 who say oaf說oaf時 are not thinking of elves at all根本沒在想精靈.