sb. slang. [Invented by A. Roberts (1852–), comedian.]
1. A game of a hoaxing and nonsensical character. Also, a trivial round game of cards in which certain cards when occurring together are denominated ‘spoof.’
1889. Pall Mall Gaz., 14 May, 5/1. ‘The Adelphi Club was the birthplace of the mysterious game called “Spoof,” was it not?’—‘Yes, I invented the pastime.’
1894. D. C. Murray, Rising Star, II. 235. There is in theatrical circles an amusement which is known as the game of spoof.
1895. Mrs. B. M. Croker, Village Tales, 89. We … were sitting in our dining-room tent fanning ourselves vigorously and playing ‘spoof.’
2. Hoax, humbug; an instance of this.
1897. Westm. Gaz., 23 April, 2/1. There seems just a little too much ‘spoof’ about the long-talked-of Trickoli.
1905. J. F. Runciman, in Sat. Rev., 16 Sept., 370/1. One sees that the whole thing is a clumsy spoof and that the writer means to go on to satirise those who do not care for the music of Strauss.
3. attrib. Hoaxing, humbugging.
1895. A. Roberts, in Daily News, 26 Aug., 6/3. My ‘spoof French’ has often been the subject of amusement.
1899. Westm. Gaz., 27 June, 7/2. Asking him to … send a ‘spoof wire’—meaning any sort of nonsense.
Hence Spoof v. trans., to hoax or humbug.
1895. Punch, 28 Dec., 301/1. I ‘spoof’ him—to use a latter-day term—by setting down in an ære perennius form my own reminiscences.
1901. Daily Mail, 2 April, 5/7. The House gave the willing tribute of laughter to the fact that it had been ‘spoofed.’
