A person who runs errands and does small tasks, especially in a workplace like a film set or office; originally from 'go for' (as in 'go for coffee').
American slang from the 1960s, created by breaking apart the phrase 'go for' into 'go-fer.' The term became popular in Hollywood film and television production as a job title for entry-level workers.
Gofer is a perfect example of how slang and workplace jargon creates new words by just splitting phrases apart—similar to how 'glam' came from 'glamour' or 'fab' from 'fabulous'!
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