Gaffer ['gæfə]
In British English slang, 'gaffer' means a (senior) master (in a factory), foreman, or supervisor. In the United Kingdom, gaffer is also commonly used for a football or rugby coach.
It is also often used colloquially for an older man or elderly farmer.
Meaning from the English-Bulgarian Dictionary
Foreman, supervisor, colloq. boss, employer.
Grandpa, old man.
Am. Film, television lighting technician.
Examples
Street cleaners stopping for a smoke when their gaffer isn't in the vicinity.
My grandpa's a funny little gaffer.
My socials teacher is such a gaffer.
Origin
The word is most likely an abbreviation of 'godfather' in association with 'grandfather'.
The female equivalent is 'gammer', which refers to an older woman and gossip or gossiping.
Conversational English with British teachers – 14 hours per week, is part of our courses.
Learn English from home at a time convenient for you:
Training system;- Video recordings from our system;
- Opinions and reviews about teachers;
- Reviews on Facebook.