fluff
noun
Fluff — an actor's forgotten line or any similarly minor performance error
Definition
A blunder (especially an actor's forgetting the lines)
In depth
A fluff is a blunder, especially an actor's forgetting of lines during a live performance, the word carrying a light, almost gentle tone matching the relatively minor, easily forgiven nature of such an error. It extends to describe any small verbal stumble during performance or public speaking more generally.
Origin
The word's theatrical sense likely developed from the more general meaning of fluff as something light, insubstantial, or easily disturbed, the forgotten line treated as a kind of momentary disturbance in the otherwise smooth fabric of a performance, gone as quickly and lightly as the literal fluff the word originally described.
Usage examples
"The veteran actor's rare fluff drew a few sympathetic chuckles before he smoothly recovered the line."
"Live theater always carries the risk of a fluff, however well-rehearsed the production might be."
"Her single fluff during the otherwise flawless speech went almost entirely unnoticed by the audience."
How to use it
Fluff in this sense is somewhat British in flavor, particularly common in theatrical and broadcasting contexts describing minor verbal errors during performance, distinct from the far more common unrelated sense of the word describing something light, soft, or insubstantial.
Related concepts
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