Good question, and one I’ve heard a few times now. I’d better explain.

I first heard the word spoffle described by Stephen Fry as a word Hugh Laurie came up with when they were recording something in a studio and he wanted one of those spongy foam microphone covers. When he asked for it the word he came up with was spoffle, “umm could you get me the spoffle thing for this mic?” What is probably more surprising is that the sound technician knew precisely what he meant. In Stephen’s mind Hugh had invented a new word. This also stuck in my mind for some bizarre reason, perhaps because I’ve always been a fan of theirs ever since A bit of Fry and Laurie.

Searching Urban Dictionary it seems they agree with my memories here.

Hugh Laurie:-

Can we put a spoffle on the mike because I’m getting too much pop on the Ps.

So a spoffle is one of these:-

spoffle cover for a microphone

The spongy foam microphone cover that reduces the “popping” effect of the plosive consonant sounds as recorded by a microphone.

Another meaning?

I’ve since discovered that there is a Disney television programme called Johnny and the Sprites which started late 2005 and uses the word spoffle to describe the Sprite plant food that Ginger spreads over the plants to make them grow. See here a youtube video when things go wrong:-

No Spoffle

So there we have it, I think that’s all our spoffle word references covered.

I was hoping spoffle.com would become a place where I could write useful information for myself as well as others to resource. The word spoffle seemed appropriate (the original meaning). Rather than just regurgitating old news or reblogging everything under the sun it would be a place of originality and ‘no more noise’. Well we’ll see how it pans out, because the judges are still out on that one I guess.