German

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Etymology

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From Insel +‎ Affe, literally island monkey. The word Affe is used in German both for boorish, rowdy persons and for affected, hoity-toity persons (compare affig, Lackaffe, indirectly also affektiert). Both of these qualities are sometimes associated with (different classes of) the British people.

Pronunciation

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  • Audio:(file)

Noun

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Inselaffe m (weak, genitive Inselaffen, plural Inselaffen)

  1. (derogatory, chiefly neologism) a British person

Usage notes

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  • The word is now widely understood, but there is little or no attested use before circa 1990.

Declension

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See also

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