Wiktionary

charivari

English

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The cover of the first issue (1841) of the British satirical magazine Punch, or the London Charivari

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From French charivari.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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charivari (countable and uncountable, plural charivaris)

  1. The noisy banging of pots and pans as a mock serenade to a newly married couple, or similar occasion.
    • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 94:
      The marriage ceremony was given primordial significance over folkloric pre-marriage engagement rituals and wild charivaris.
  2. (by extension) Any loud, cacophonous noise or hubbub.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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cacaphonous noise, hubbub — see cacophony

Further reading

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French

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FWOTD – 12 September 2020

Etymology

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Inherited from Old French chalivali (“noise from pots and pans”), from Late Latin caribaria, from carivaria, from Ancient Greek καρηβάρεια (karēbáreia, “headache”, from κάρη (kárē, “head”) +‎ βαρύς (barús, “heavy”)).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ʃa.ʁi.va.ʁi/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -i

Noun

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charivari m (plural charivaris)

  1. (historical) charivari, shivaree (mock serenade of discordant noise, notably to heckle a publicly reviled figure)
  2. (by extension) racket, banging in general, rumpus
    Synonym: chahut
    • 1893, Émile Zola, “Le public”, in Édouard Manet, étude biographique et critique, page 365:
      Mettez dix personnes d’intelligence suffisante devant un tableau d’aspect neuf et original, et ces personnes, à elles dix, ne feront plus qu’un grand enfant ; elles se pousseront du coude, elles commenteront l’œuvre de la façon la plus comique du monde. Les badauds arriveront à la file, grossissant le groupe ; bientôt ce sera un véritable charivari, un accès de folie bête.
      Put ten people of sufficient intelligence in front of a new- and original-looking painting, and those ten people will act like children; they will elbow each other, and comment on the painting in the most ridiculous way imaginable. Passers-by will flock to them and make the group bigger; soon there will be absolute mayhem, a bout of mindless folly.

Descendants

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Further reading

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