Survivor "Buff"

[nq:1]If you watched the TV show Survivor you will have heard the word "buff" in reference to the headscarf/neckerchiefs the ... references for this meaning. Is it slang, informal, regional, a neologism, or a word with a venerable history and provenance?[/nq]
Didn't watch the show, but my guess is that it's "buff" in the sense of "light brown". Couldn't tell you how to distinguish it from beig

[nq:1]Didn't watch the show, but my guess is that it's "buff" in the sense of "light brown".[/nq]
Nope. That's not it. We're talking about multi-coloured bandannas nary a buff colour in sight, and the word is used as a noun, not an adjective.

[nq:2]Didn't watch the show, but my guess is that it's "buff" in the sense of "light brown".[/nq]
[nq:1]Nope. That's not it. We're talking about multi-coloured bandannas nary a buff colour in sight, and the word is used as a noun, not an adjective.[/nq]
Encarta® World English Dictionary, North American Edition:

[nq:2]Nope. That's not it. We're talking about multi-coloured bandannas ... the word is used as a noun, not an adjective.[/nq]
[nq:1]Encarta® World English Dictionary, North American Edition: http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid =18615931

[nq:2]Didn't watch the show, but my guess is that it's "buff" in the sense of "light brown".[/nq]
[nq:1]Nope. That's not it. We're talking about multi-coloured bandannas nary a buff colour in sight, and the word is used as a noun, not an adjective.[/nq]
It's called a "buff" in Spain, too well, actually, it's called a "voo", but it's spelled "buff".

Ross Howard

[nq:1]If you watched the TV show Survivor you will have heard the word "buff" in reference to the headscarf/neckerchiefs the ... references for this meaning. Is it slang, informal, regional, a neologism, or a word with a venerable history and provenance?[/nq]
Did the contestants wear any other clothes apart from these scarves? If not, they were "in the buff" (= naked).
Margot

[nq:1]I'm curious to know how widespread it is as a noun meaning 'bandanna.' Survivor is the only context in which I've run across this.[/nq]
http://www.joebrowns.co.uk/clothing.asp
type buff in search area.
m.

[nq:2]I'm curious to know how widespread it is as a noun meaning 'bandanna.' Survivor is the only context in which I've run across this.[/nq]
[nq:1]http://www.joebrowns.co.uk/clothing.asp type buff in search area.[/nq]
That's a British site I wonder if the term originated in the UK.

(snip various)
[nq:1]I found similar definitions for the adjective 'buff.' I'm curious to know how widespread it is as a noun meaning 'bandanna.' Survivor is the only context in which I've run across this.[/nq]
Dictionaries do have various noun meanings. Two from Encarta:
2. industry soft leather: a soft thick undyedleather that is made chiefly from the skins of
buffalo, elk, or ox

[nq:1](snip various)[/nq]
[nq:2]I found similar definitions for the adjective 'buff.' I'm curious ... is the only context in which I've run across this.[/nq]
[nq:1]I just peeked. It led to a big site on "Buff - Multifunctional Headwear" where it appears to be a ... in a generic way). You could ask that company where the name came from. They might have made it up.[/nq]