skiffy

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English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

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Phonetic spelling of sci-fi to capture deliberate mispronunciation (with "sc" being read as /sk/ and "i" being read as short vowel /i/ instead of diphthong /aɪ/).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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skiffy (uncountable)

  1. (fandom slang, usually derogatory or humorous) Low-quality science fiction.
    • 1984, David Hartwell, “The Golden Age of Science Fiction is Twelve”, in Age of Wonders, →ISBN, page 13:
      The science fiction reader sneers at fake SF, artificially produced film tie-in novels and stories, most SF films, most TV SF. This he calls sci-fi (or "skiffy")—junk no right-thinking omnivore or chronic should read, watch, or support.
    • 1989 July, Bruce Sterling, SF Eye, number 5, page 77:
      Many of the best new writers seem openly ashamed of their backward Skiffy nationality.
    • 1993, Peter Nicholls, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction[1], →ISBN, page 1079:
      Around 1978 the critic Susan Wood and others began pronouncing the term "skiffy". In 1980s-1990s usage "skiffy", which sounds friendlier than "sci fi", has perhaps for that reason come to be less condemnatory. Skiffy is colourful, sometimes entertaining, junk sf: Star Wars is skiffy.

References

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