Mufti (dress)
Mufti, or civies/civvies (short for "civilian attire"),[1] refers to ordinary clothes, especially when worn by one who normally wears, or has long worn, a military or other uniform.
Origin
The word originates from the Middle East and is Arabic - Mufti (مفتي) means an Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law (Sharia), and is the active form of the Arabic afta, meaning "to judge". It has been used by the British army since 1816 and is thought to derive from the vaguely Eastern style dressing gowns and tasseled caps worn by off-duty officers in the early 19th century. Yule and Burnell's Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, and of Kindred Terms, Etymological, Historical, Geographical and Discursive (1886) notes that the word was "perhaps originally applied to the attire of dressing-gown, smoking-cap, and slippers, which was like the Oriental dress of the Mufti".[2]
Mufti Day
Mufti Day (also known as Casual Clothes Day, Casual Friday, Own Clothes Day, Home Clothes Day, Plain Clothes Day, Non-uniform Day, Free Dress Day, Civvies Day, Dress Down Day) Home clothes day is a day where schools allow the students and staff to come to school in normal clothing (instead of uniform). In return, students are usually required to pay a small fee. The proceeds go to fundraising efforts in which the school is currently involved. This is found in many countries, including the United Kingdom[3], Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and China.[citation needed] It is also occasionally found in business environments.
Popular Usage
The word has caught on in popular usage, being used to simply refer to 'casualwear', even lending itself to the identity of a popular men's clothing brand in India.
References
- ^ http://www.thefreedictionary.com/civies
- ^ "MUFTY". Hobson Jobson Dictionary. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Mufti Day for NSPCC". Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe. Autumn 2008.
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External links
- Mufti Day Definition
- Etymology of "mufti" (dead link)
- List of phrases on the Royal Australian Navy website - includes a short description of the origin and military use of the term.