kerfuffle
UK /kəˈfʌfəl/ · US /kɚˈfʌfəl/ noun, verb
Forms kerfuffles kerfuffling kerfuffled cufuffle cuffuffle curfuffle gefuffle kafuffle kerfluff kerfluffle kurfuffle fuffle
- noun (chiefly Commonwealth, informal) A disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion, or tumult. [from 19th c.]
- verb (chiefly Ireland, UK, Commonwealth, informal, transitive) To make a disorderly outburst or commotion.
Synonyms
brouhaha donnybrook fracas hubbub hullabaloo mess racket disturbance disruption commotion flutter hurly burly to-do hoo-ha hoo-hah
Etymology
Probably from Scots curfuffle, equivalent to ker- + fuffle, or related to Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”). Similar to modern Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”)
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “kerfuffle”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details