Quote:
Originally Posted by geekmaster
Oops. I knew that (gaffer's tape holding the microphone to the boom and all that). My memory isn't what it used to be (continuity errors and such). Sorry about that. Then were did the term "gaff" come from? Like this "technical gaff": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_K2GAc_pRI
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According to my OED, the origins of both uses are obscure, but gaff, or gaffe, meaning a rude mistake is unrelated to the term "gaffer" which is a term of respect for an old man, and
may be related to gaff, which is a long pole used on fishing boats.
Gaffers tape, as you know, is the stuff we use on set to hold down cables, hold up various materials and fix just about everything. Good gaffer's tape is the stuff of gods. It makes duct tape look like Scotch tape. Awesome stuff. Stupidly expensive.