# Goof > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Goof > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Goof.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goof > Source revision: 1333318854 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Mistake For the act of wasting work time, see [Goofing off](/source/Goofing_off). For the Walt Disney cartoon character, see [Goofy](/source/Goofy). For other uses, see [Goof (disambiguation)](/source/Goof_(disambiguation)). This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Goof" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message) A **goof** is a [mistake](/source/Error). The term is also used in a number of specific senses: in cinema, it is an error or oversight during production that is visible in the released version of the film. ## Etymology Several origins have been proposed for the word. According to Merriam-Webster, "goof" is likely a variation of "goff" in an English dialect, meaning simpleton.[1] Some say the word may come from an identically pronounced [Hebrew](/source/Hebrew) word meaning "body", some even say it was just a mistake that happened while typing the word "good", hence the word "goof" is also known as another word for mistake.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The Spanish word *[gofio](/source/Gofio)* refers to the balls of toasted flour and salt eaten by the original inhabitants of the [Canary Islands](/source/Canary_Islands). In Latin America (esp. Cuba) the word "comegofio" (lit. "gofio-eater") came to refer to anyone from the Canaries, stereotyped as primitive or stupid. ## Cinema In [filmmaking](/source/Filmmaking), a *goof* is a mistake made during film production that finds its way into the final released picture. Depending upon the film and the actual scene, the goof may have different effects: a loss in [realism](/source/Realism_(dramatic_arts)), an annoyance, or it could just be funny. It is often a type of [continuity](/source/Continuity_(fiction)) error. Goofs are also known as "[bloopers](/source/Blooper)"[2] or "mistakes". There are several types of goofs, for example: - Somebody or something from the film crew is in the picture that wasn't planned (e.g., [camera](/source/Camera) and cameraman is reflected in a mirror, or the [microphone](/source/Microphone) is visible, a rope pushing a character over is visible, a hook pulling a character up in the air is visible). - [Chronological](/source/Chronology) or [continuity errors](/source/Continuity_error) (e.g. a [cigarette](/source/Cigarette) getting longer with the next scene, a cup or glass gaining in volume in the next scene, damage to a building that disappears, or moved props) - Historical inaccuracies and anachronisms (e.g., an [HDTV](/source/High-definition_television) set in a film set in the 1970s, radio tower in a cowboy movie). - Geographic: an object or landmark reveals the scene was filmed in a different city than the city it is set. This is very common in [Hollywood](/source/Hollywood_(film_industry)) films that are shot in [Canada](/source/Canada). - Problems in audio or soundtrack (e.g. a [dog](/source/Dog) barking before its mouth moves, a person's lips carry on moving after they have finished speaking). - [Intertitles](/source/Intertitles) displaying wrong words (e.g. a character called "John" may have his name misspelled *Jhon* in the subtitles by accident). - [Editing](/source/Editing) errors, where dialog or events in one scene refer to material that occurred in a prior scene in the [screenplay](/source/Screenplay), but which was deleted in the final cut of the film. Goofs can be found in a large number of films and episodes, even in very expensive productions. The 1977 film *[Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope](/source/Star_Wars_(film))*, for example, has been counted to have 200 goofs in it, ranging from disappearing props to a [stormtrooper](/source/Stormtroopers_(Star_Wars)) hitting his head on an opening door. ## See also - [Gaffe](/source/Gaffe) - [Goofball comedy](/source/Goofball_comedy) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Definition Merriam-Webster"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090923143438/http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goof). Archived from [the original](http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goof) on 2009-09-23. Retrieved 2007-07-30. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Normally used on the [IMDb site](https://www.imdb.com/Sections/Goofs/) for bloopers. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100410142828/http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Goofs/) 2010-04-10 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) ## External links Look up ***[goof](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/goof)*** in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. - [Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics](http://www.intuitor.com/moviephysics/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Goof](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goof) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goof?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.