English

Noun

fafiate ‎(plural fafiates)

1. (dated, fandom slang, science fiction) A science fiction fan who has become inactive in the fandom community due to other obligations.

   After she got that job she became a fafiate.

Verb

fafiate ‎(third-person singular simple present fafiates, present participle fafiating, simple past and past participle fafiated)

1. (dated, fandom slang) To exit fandom and become inactive in fandom activity due to other obligations.
   • 1989 October 13, Dan'l DanehyOakes, “Re: gafiated: definition wanted”, in rec.arts.sf-lovers, Usenet, message-ID <1638@pbhyc.PacBell.COM>:

     Nope. "Fafia" stands for "Forced Away From It All." Wide variety of things: family doesn't approve; financial reasons; job takes up too much time; or, in a few cases (can you say "John Vanible?" I knew you could), people have been so obnoxious that they were essentially fafiated by fandom itself, the ultimate shame of being outcast by the pariahs...

   • 1995 October 24, Gar Farber, “Re: Secret Apas - Not (was Re: Fandom Organizations)”, in rec.arts.sf.fandom, Usenet, message-ID <46kc1k$g69@panix2.panix.com>:

     People usually give away collections when gafiating, if not fafiating due to inconveniences to fanac such as death.

   • 2001 April 23, Margaret Middleton, “searching for Maureen O'Brien”, in rec.music.filk, Usenet, message-ID <20010422224951.03422.00000529@ng-ms1.aol.com>:

     I haven't seen her posting on here since FKO or maybe earlier, and a mutual friend has been trying to email to her and not getting answered. Anybody around Ohio know if she's just covered-up with her day job or had something happen to seriously fafiate her?

References

• Jeff Prucher, editor (2007) Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-530567-8, page 56