foofaraw

English

WOTD – 15 December 2013

Alternative forms

• foofooraw, fooforaw

Etymology

First attested in the 1930s, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to French fanfaron (“boasting”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfu.fəˌɹɔ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

foofaraw (plural foofaraws) (informal)

1. Overly excessive or flashy ornamentation or decoration.
   • 1944, Time, volume 44, page 15:

     The thumping bands, the badges, the pretty girls and all the time-honored foofaraw failed to charge up the Republican batteries to the sparking point. The great engine just would not turn over — at the start.

   • 2013 October 13, Erik Adams, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Lisa’s Wedding” (season six, episode 19; originally aired 3/19/1995)”, in The Onion AV Club‎^[1]:

     Yes, there’s a romance at the center of the episode, though it’s just as much of a red herring as the layers of futuristic foofaraw.

2. Fuss over something of little importance.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:commotion

   • 2001 February 23, Paulina Borsook, “Art's Cold Welcome on the Web”, in The New York Times‎^[2], →ISSN:

     In the whole foofaraw around Napster, what mostly got lost was the artists. They are the Belgians of this controversy, trampled by armies heading someplace else.

Further reading

• “foofaraw”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.