oompie, noun
/ˈʊəmpi/
- Forms:
- Also omie, oomie.
- Note:
- English-speakers have tended to blur the distinction between these two diminutive forms.
1. As a common noun: an affectionate or patronising term for a man, particularly an older man. Cf. oom sense 3.
1900 O. Osborne In Land of Boers 315Opulent, simple-minded, old Dutch ‘oompies’, inveigled at last from the seclusion of their distant ‘boerenplaats’ to visit the wonders of the Northern Old World.
1987 ‘K. De Boer’ in Frontline May 37‘En waar stem jy, Boetie?’ eventually comes the inevitable question. I tell him in which constituency, hoping to buy peace. My evasiveness annoys the omie. No man, for which party?
2.
a. An affectionate or patronising form of address or reference to any man older than the speaker. Cf. oom sense 2.
1954 M. Kuttel Quadrilles & Konfyt 53He was much older than she was — a short man affectionately called ‘Oompie’ by the Duckitts.
1965 E. Mphahlele Down Second Ave 38I borrowed a bicycle from a tenant of ours we called simply ‘Oompie’ — uncle — when he was not using it on his rounds..collecting numbers from gamblers for the Chinaman’s fah fee.
b. As a title, with a name: an affectionate title for an older man. Cf. oom sense 1 a.
1966 M. Kuttel Hildegonda Duckitt’s Bk of Recipes 5Her sister Annie and her husband ‘Oompie’ van Renen.
1980 E. Joubert Long Journey of Poppie Nongena 12The children were oompie Kaffertjie and oompie Domani and grootma Martha and grootma Mieta and Lena who was our own ma, and then kleinma Hessie and oompie Sam and oompie Pengi, ouma Hannie’s last born, her dry-teat child, her t’koutjie, as the Namas say...Oompie is uncle.
An affectionate or patronising diminutive of oom.
an affectionate or patronising term for a man, particularly an older man.
An affectionate or patronising form of address or reference to any man older than the speaker.
an affectionate title for an older man.
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