in the buff
English
Etymology
From buff (“bare skin”, literally “brownish yellow”), an allusion to the color of the skin.
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Prepositional phrase
in the buff
- (idiomatic, informal) Nude.
- She was in the buff on the beach.
- The streaker ran across the playing field in the buff.
- 2021 October 18, Lecklitzner, Ian, “The Inevitable Rise of the Work-From-Home Nudist”, in MEL Magazine:
- Not to mention, nudity can be just plain convenient. “Laundry is minimal,” Schulte notes. It also doesn’t hurt that being in the buff spices up his workday.
Translations
nude
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Further reading
- Gary Martin (1997–), “In the buff”, in The Phrase Finder.