Oompa Loompan.
/ˌʊmpə ˈlʊmpə/, U.S. /ˌumpə ˈlumpə/, /ˌʊmpə ˈlʊmpə/ Originally, in the Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964): any of a group of factory workers of diminutive stature. Hence (usually depreciative): (a nickname for) a person likened to an Oompa Loompa in some way, esp. (a) a short person; (b) a person regarded as having somewhat orange-coloured skin (see note).In the original 1964 novel, Oompa Loompas were described as having black skin (see quot. 1964), though in a revised edition (1973) their skin is described as white. In the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory their skin was orange (cf. quot. 1971).
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1964 R. Dahl Charlie & Chocolate Factory xvii. 83 The Oompa-Loompa bowed and smiled... His skin was almost pure black, and the top of his fuzzy head came just above the height of Mr. Wonka's knee.
1971 Evening Standard (Uniontown, Pa.) 9 July 2/3 The film also ‘introduces’ the diminutive Oompa-Loompas from Loompaland, with green hair and orange faces, who work in Wonka's factory.
1994 Big Beautiful Woman Feb. 10 Self-tanners, which in the past tended to make you look like an Oompa-Loompa, now provide a much more even, natural-looking color.
1998 Sunday Age (Melbourne) (Nexis) 2 Aug. (Sunday Life section) 33 Every room contains a team of Ford Oompa Loompas beavering away at some bizarre machine.
2006 Esquire Mar. 47/4 Kids and Oompa Loompas will be comfortable back there; anyone bigger will have cause to sue.
2012 J. Evison Rev. Fund. Caregiving (2013) 62 One of [the girls]..has the most vivid fake tan I've ever seen. She's perfectly orange... ‘Hey psst,’ I say to Dale. ‘Look, an Oompa Loompa.’
2015 Irish Mirror (Nexis) 15 Sept. Frequently mistaken for a toddler, Phil has also been asked if he's an Oompa Loompa.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1964