Darren Lehmann has been named the new Australia cricket coach and lots of articles, including Wikipedia, refer to his nickname as 'Boof'. However, I can't seem to find any reason for this nickname or any relation to Boof in cricketing jargon. Is this a sporting or cricket reference or is this a none sport related nickname.
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m.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/… Link above to an article explains it all.– user2127Jan 8, 2014 at 9:10
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3 Answers
It's nothing to do with cricket, in Australian slang 'boof' means head, typically used to refer to someone with a big head. Sometimes the term 'boofhead' is used, referring to someone big, burly and maybe a little bit stupid (or at least simple minded). To an Aussie, 'boof' is a natural nickname for someone like Darren Lehmann, who has a large bald head, is a tall man who always carried a bit of extra weight around the gut and who had a reputation as an aggressive, physical player both on and off the field.
When exactly Lehmann began being called Boof I do not know. It's possible that it was his nickname long before he became a successful cricketer. It is normal among groups of male friends in Australia for everyone to have a nickname that gets used far more than their real name. This is why all players in the Australian team always get a nickname, it's simply part of Australian culture.
answered Jun 25, 2013 at 2:15
Boof Lehmann was nicknamed by a schoolmate, John Giannotti, when he was 13. It was because he had a big head and thus his mate called him "Boofhead" a common term in Australia for someone with a large head. In Boof's case, Boofhead soon became Boof. The nickname went from the schoolyard to the schoolroom and into general use very quickly.
His other cricket nickname was Shreck for obvious reasons.
According to this link here. It states-
Other Darren Lehmann facts include that he once did some racism and that his nickname is ‘Boof’. If you’re wondering as to the origins of this nickname, it’s due to his uncanny resemblance to cult actress and Nineties video game TV programme presenter, Emily ‘Bouff’ Booth.
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1Interesting. Initially I thought this couldn't be right, since Emily Booth is unknown in Australia, however Lehmann was playing for Surrey around the same time Emily Booth was rising to fame in the UK (at least according to wikipedia). He might have got the name in England and then it stuck in Australia since it seemed appropriate for the reasons I mentioned. It's hard to know for sure, since the link you posted doesn't itself reference anything so it could just be someone else speculating on the internet. It is at least plausible anyway. Aug 1, 2013 at 22:04