Buff (latin ''bubalinus'') is a light brownish yellow,

ochre Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...

ous colour, typical of buff leather. Buff is a mixture of yellow ochre and white: two parts of white lead and one part of yellow ochre produces a good buff, or white lead may be tinted with French ochre alone. As an RYB quaternary colour, it is the colour produced by an equal mix of the tertiary colours citron and russet.

Etymology

The first recorded use of the word ''buff'' to describe a colour was in '' The London Gazette'' of 1686, describing a uniform to be "...a Red Coat with a Buff-colour'd lining". It referred to the colour of undyed buffalo leather, such as soldiers wore as some protection: an eyewitness to the death in the Battle of Edgehill (1642) of Sir Edmund Verney noted "he would neither put on arms rmouror buff coat the day of the battle". Such buff leather was suitable for '' buffing'' or serving as a '' buffer'' between polished objects. It is not clear which bovine "''buffalo''" referred to, but it may not have been any of the animals called "buffalo" today.

Derived terms

The word ''buff'' meaning " enthusiast" or "expert" (US English) derives from the colour "buff", specifically from the buff-coloured uniform facings of 19th-century New York City volunteer firemen, who inspired partisan followers among particularly keen fire watchers. "In the buff", today meaning naked, originally applied to English soldiers wearing the buff leather tunic that was their uniform until the 17th century. The "naked" signification is due to the perception that (English) skin is buff-coloured.

In nature

Geology

Sand, rock, and

loess Loess (, ; from german: Löss ) is a clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loess or similar deposits. Loess is a periglacial or aeolian ...

tend to be buff in many areas. File:Sand Drawings.JPG, Buff sand File:Short Cliff - geograph.org.uk - 881661.jpg, Buff rock at the top of a cliff File:LoessVicksburg.jpg, Buff

Natural selection

Because buff is effective in camouflage, it is often naturally selected. File:AB Keeled Scales.jpg, Buff bands on a snake File:Phalera bucephala MHNT.jpg, A moth with buff wingtips ('' Phalera bucephala'') File:Phalera bucephala, Mondvogel 6.JPG, The buff wingtips of this moth aid in camouflage. File:Panellus_stipticus_8445.jpg, Buff fungi Many species are named for their buff markings, including the buff arches moth, the buff-bellied climbing mouse, and at least sixty birds, including the buff-fronted quail-dove, the

buff-vented bulbul The buff-vented bulbul (''Iole crypta'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in south-eastern Myanmar, south-western Thailand, on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and nearby islands. Its natural habitat is subtrop ...

, and the buff-spotted flufftail. File:Nomascus-gabriellae.jpg, A pair of

northern buffed-cheeked gibbon The northern buffed-cheeked gibbon (''Nomascus annamensis'') is a newly discovered species of crested gibbon which is found in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Its habitat is in the humid subtropical and seasonal tropical forests of these countries. ...

s File:Buff-banded Rail LEI Jan08.jpg, The buff-banded rail File:Theristicus caudatus (Coclí) (5145728595).jpg, The buff-necked ibis File:Tangara cayana1.jpg, The

burnished-buff tanager The burnished-buff tanager (''Stilpnia cayana''), also known as the rufous-crowned tanager, is a common South American species of bird in the family Thraupidae. Distribution and habitat It is found in the northern Guianas, most of Venezuela and ...

In culture

Architecture

In areas where buff raw materials are available, buff walls and buildings may be found. Cotswold stone is an example of such a material. File:The Street - geograph.org.uk - 350549.jpg, Traditional buff stone buildings File:Poplar, Follett Street, E14 (1) - geograph.org.uk - 934243.jpg, Modern buff brick buildings (centre)

Stationery and art

Unless bleached or dyed, paper products, such as Manila paper, tend to be buff. Buff envelopes are used extensively in commercial mailings. File:ManilaPaper.jpg, Manila paper File:SayilmisSecimZarflari.JPG, Buff envelopes Buff paper is sometimes favoured by artists seeking a neutral background colour for drawings, especially those featuring the colour white. File:Portrait of a gentleman by Sir Peter Lely.jpg, Red and white chalk portrait on buff paper File:Waterfall at Tivoli by George Hayter.jpg, Black chalk with brown wash, heightened with white on buff paper File:Tour de St Romain Rouen cathedral by William Froome Smallwood.jpg, Graphite drawing with watercolour wash on buff paper

Artificial selection

Buff domesticated animals and plants have been created, including dogs, cats, and poultry. The word ''buff'' is used in written standards of several

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

s, and some, such as the Buff turkey, are specifically named "buff". File:American Cocker Spaniel buff portrait.jpg, A buff gun dog File:Shaded Tan Maine Coon cat.jpg, A buff mousing cat File:Buff_Orpington_chicken,_UK.jpg, A buff chicken File:Orpington Duck 2014-10-20 001.jpg, The

Buff Orpington Duck The Orpington or Buff Orpington Duck is a breed of domestic duck. It is a dual-purpose breed used for meat and egg production. It is capable of laying up to 220 eggs a year. Originally created by William Cook of Orpington, Kent, UK, from the sel ...

File:Rosa 'Buff Beauty'.jpg, The rose cultivar 'Buff Beauty'.

Clothing

In 16th- and 17th-century European cultures, buff waistcoats ("vests" in American English), were considered proper

casual wear Casual wear (or casual attire or clothing) is a Western dress code that is relaxed, occasional, spontaneous and suited for everyday use. Casual wear became popular in the Western world following the counterculture of the 1960s. When emphasisi ...

. In the 17th century, the traditional colour of formal dress boot uppers was often described as "buff". File:Musician Holding Bagpipes 1632.jpg, 17th-century English musician wearing a buff waistcoat File:Piccolomini_5.jpg, 17th-century Italian nobleman wearing buff dress boot uppers

John Bull

Clothing depicted on John Bull, a

national personification A national personification is an anthropomorphic personification of a state or the people(s) it inhabits. It may appear in political cartoons and propaganda. Some early personifications in the Western world tended to be national manifestations ...

of Britain in general and England in particular, in political cartoons and similar graphic works, has often been buff coloured. Bull's buff waistcoats, topcoats,"AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion," Metropolitan Museum of Art (2006), exhibition brochure, p. 2. trousers and boot uppers were typical of 18th- and 19th-century Englishmen. File:Tree_of_liberty.jpg, Early depiction of John Bull with the buff clothing typical of an 18th-century Englishman File:John Bull - World War I recruiting poster.jpeg, John Bull wearing buff dress boot uppers File:The Great Rapprochement.jpg, John Bull wearing buff trousers

17th-century military uniforms

File:HGM Saal 1 Musketiere und Pikeniere.jpg, Buff German uniforms File:Footpath to Hall Hill, near West Keal - geograph.org.uk - 717980.jpg, Dry vegetation in Europe

=The British army

= The Royal East Kent Regiment was nicknamed "The Buffs" from the colour of their waistcoats. The phrase "Steady the Buffs!", popularised by Rudyard Kipling in his 1888 work ''

Soldiers Three ''Soldiers Three'' is a collection of short stories by Rudyard Kipling. The three soldiers of the title are Learoyd, Mulvaney and Ortheris, who had also appeared previously in the collection ''Plain Tales from the Hills''. The current version, d ...

'', has its origins during 2nd Battalion's garrison duties in Malta. Adjutant Cotter, not wanting to be shown up in front of his former regiment, the 21st Royal (North British) Fusiliers, spurred his men on with the words: "Steady, the Buffs! The Fusiliers are watching you." File:Soldier of 3rd regiment 1742.jpg, Soldier of The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) wearing "a new Red Coat lin'd with a Buff colour'd lining, .... Breeches of the same colour as the Coat lining."

U.S. Army

The uniform of the American

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

was buff and blue. Buff is the traditional colour of the

U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps The United States Army Quartermaster Corps, formerly the Quartermaster Department, is a sustainment, formerly combat service support (CSS), branch of the United States Army. It is also one of three U.S. Army logistics branches, the others being t ...

. The

U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry The Institute of Heraldry, officially The Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army, is an activity of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army solely responsible for furnishing heraldic services to President of the United ...

specifies a "buff" tincture for certain

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its wh ...

, often treating it as a metal for purposes of the

rule of tincture The most basic rule of heraldic design is the rule of tincture: metal should not be put on metal, nor colour on colour (Humphrey Llwyd, 1568). This means that the heraldic metals or and argent (gold and silver, represented by yellow and white) s ...

. File:Infantry, Continental Army, 1779-1783.jpg, Continental Army uniforms: "The Buff and Blue" File:Chevron - Quartermaster Sergeant 1902-1909.png, US chevron - quartermaster sergeant insignia (1902-1909) buff on black with blue detail. File:43rdSBSSI.svg, USAIH illustration which specifies "a buff colored vertical rectangular embroidered item"

U.S. universities, fraternities and schools

The colours of George Washington University and Hamilton College are buff and blue, modelled on the military uniform of General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

and the Continental Army. Both General Washington and

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

, as chief of staff, had a role in the design of the uniforms. Other school colours described as "buff and blue" include

Gallaudet University Gallaudet University ( ) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. It was founded in 1864 as a grammar school for both deaf and blind children. It was the first sc ...

in Washington, D.C., and

Punahou School Punahou School (known as Oahu College until 1934) is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 3,700 students attend the school from kindergarten through twelfth grade, 12th grade. Protestant missionar ...

in Honolulu, Hawaii. Buff is one of three colours of the Alpha Gamma Delta fraternity, and one of two colours of the Delta Chi fraternity. File:George Washington by Peale 1776.jpg, General Washington wearing the buff and blue File:George_Washington_University.jpg, George Washington University banners featuring the buff and blue George Washington Colonials logo.svg, The buff and blue logo of the George Washington University Colonials

U.S. state flags

The flags of Delaware and New Jersey, and the former flags of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and Maine, officially feature buff. File:Flag of Delaware.svg, The flag of Delaware includes "a background of colonial blue surrounding a diamond of buff" File:Flag of New Jersey.svg, The flag of New Jersey has "the State seal ... in Jersey blue on a buff background" File:Flag of New York (1778-1901).svg, Former flag of New York (until 1901) File:Flag of Maine (1901–1909).png, The 1901 Maine Flag flown from 1901 to 1909

Political usage

The colours of the Whig Party, a British political faction, and later political party, as well as the American Whig Party, were buff and blue. File:Le_coup_de_maitre.jpg, Depiction of the Whig Charles James Fox wearing buff and blue

White Star buff

The funnels of the RMS ''Titanic'' and all other ships of the White Star Line were designated to be "buff with a black top" in order to indicate their ownership. There is some uncertainty among experts, however, as to the exact shade of what is now called "White Star buff". There is no surviving paint or formula, and although there are many painted postcards and at least seven colour photographs of White Star liners, the shades of the funnels in these varies due to many factors including the conditions under which they were originally made and the ageing of the pigments in which they were printed. Speaking mostly to

scale model A scale model is a physical model which is geometrically similar to an object (known as the prototype). Scale models are generally smaller than large prototypes such as vehicles, buildings, or people; but may be larger than small prototypes ...

lers, the Titanic Research and Modelling Association currently recommend a colour "in the range of the

Marschall Marschall is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Adolf Marschall von Bieberstein (1842–1912), German politician and Secretary of State of the Foreign Office of the German Empire *Friedrich August Marschall von Bieberstein (1768� ...

color", meaning the colour in illustrations in a particular book. As a relatively inexpensive and readily available paint colour, and one which went well alongside the near-universal black

hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

and white

superstructure A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships. Aboard ships and large boats On water craft, the superstruct ...

used on steamships at the time, White Star was far from the only shipping line to use a shade of buff as a funnel colour. The Orient Line and Norddeutscher Lloyd used an entirely buff funnel without the black top, while Canadian Pacific and the

Swedish American Line Swedish American Line ( sv, Svenska Amerika Linien, abbr. SAL) was a Swedish passenger shipping line. It was founded in December 1914 under the name Rederiaktiebolaget Sverige-Nordamerika and began ocean liner service from Gothenburg to New Y ...

employed a buff funnel with a representation of the company's house flag on them. The Bibby Line and the Fyffes Line are two of several firms to use the same "buff with a black top" scheme as White Star, but with a similar lack of certainty as to the exact shade used and how this differed from the famous White Star scheme. File:Colorful Oceanic.jpg, Ships of the White Star Line, such as the RMS ''Oceanic'' pictured here, and the ''Titanic,'' had buff funnels with black tops.

In Canadian heraldry

As well as being a colour used by the United States Army Institute of Heraldry, buff is also recognised as a tincture by the Canadian Heraldic Authority. It appears on the

heraldic badge A heraldic badge, emblem, impresa, device, or personal device worn as a badge indicates allegiance to, or the property of, an individual, family or corporate body. Medieval forms are usually called a livery badge, and also a cognizance. They are ...

and flag of the Correctional Service of Canada.

References

{{Heraldry Quaternary colors Shades of brown Shades of yellow Shades of orange Colours (heraldry) Metals (heraldry) hi:भूरा#बादामी