English Dictionary

boffin

IPA（発音記号）

/ˈbɒfɪn/

名詞

オーストラリア英語 イギリス英語 くだけた表現 広義

(Australia, Britain, informal) An engineer or scientist, especially one engaged in technological or military research.

日本語の意味

（オーストラリア、イギリスの俗語）技術や軍事研究に従事する科学者または技術者

The boffin stayed up all night to debug the prototype's guidance system before the demonstration.

その技術研究者は、デモの前に試作機の誘導システムをデバッグするために一晩中起きていた。

意味（1）

(Australia, Britain, informal) An engineer or scientist, especially one engaged in technological or military research.

In fact, a fighting friend of mine said that he could hardly walk in any direction in this war without tumbling over a scientist who had got in the way. In the Royal Air Force, where the concentration of scientists is perhaps greatest, they have a pet name for them. They call them “Boffins.” Why, I do not know. I said to a young friend of mine in the Air Force, “Why do you call scientists ‘Boffins’?” He said, “I don’t know. What else would you call them?”]

意味（2）

(Australia, Britain, informal, by extension) A person with specialized knowledge or skills, especially one who is socially awkward; (in a weaker sense) an intellectual; a smart person.

— Well, last year I used to have a friend Charley [Charley was in the top sets for English, mathematics and French] but this year he doesn't speak to me any more and every time I see him he's hanging around with boffins like. When I go round to his house, now and again, he's always got his 'O' level and 'A' level books open and he's always concentrating on his work. Hanging around with boffins. / — What are boffins? / — People who work. Stay in all the time. Never go out, go down the town or nothin. And always get good letters home and pats on the back by teachers.

boffins （ plural ）