• (GA) IPA: /ˈdʌfɚ/
• (RP) IPA: /ˈdʌfə/

1. comparative form of duff

duffer (plural duffers)

1. (informal) An incompetent or clumsy person.
   • 1899 March, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number MI, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], OCLC 1042815524 ↗, part II:

     Besides, I was anxious to take the wheel, the man in pink pyjamas showing himself a hopeless duffer at the business.

2. (sports) A player having little skill, especially a golfer who duffs.
3. (archaic) A pedlar or hawker, especially one selling cheap or substandard goods.
4. (archaic) Cheap or substandard goods sold by a duffer.
5. A cow that does not produce milk.
   • 1908, Proceedings of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago, Volume 8, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=yJAsAQAAIAAJ&q=%22duffer%22+cattle+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&dq=%22duffer%22+cattle+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=E3FHT8bQNsWTiAeJ2PiJDg&redir_esc=y page 116],

     We have some good cows in this State, but, unfortunately, we have too many duffer cows that are not only being fed and milked at a loss hut are eating up a portion of the profit of the good cow which is being milked alongside them.

   • 1934', Victorian Department of Agriculture, Journal of Agriculture, Volume 32, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=KbMIAQAAIAAJ&q=%22duffer%22+cattle+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&dq=%22duffer%22+cattle+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QmdHT4a1GcnJmQX05KWBDg&redir_esc=y page 293],

     The truth is that cattlemen love a typical cow for her beauty and symmetry of form ; but every herd-testing dairyman knows that an ugly animal may be a good producer, while many a beautiful cow is a duffer.

6. (Australia, dated) A cattle thief or thief of other livestock; one who alters the brands of cattle.
   • 2011, Clancy Tucker, Gunnedah Hero, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=AXsLCLKeQREC&pg=PT45&dq=%22duffer%22+cattle+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LG5HT8_4L4rWmAXmirWpDg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22duffer%22%20cattle%20-intitle%3A%22%22%20-inauthor%3A%22%22&f=false unnumbered page],

     The cattle duffer′s escape would have been impeded by those young ones. Calves can be unruly unless you move them carefully in the company of their mothers.

7. A racing pigeon that does not perform well.
8. (entomology) Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Discophora.

• (incompetent person) see Thesaurus:unskilled person
• (livestock thief) see Thesaurus:rustler

• French: tocard
• Russian: недотёпа

1. Surname