kerfuffle
English edit
Alternative forms edit
- cufuffle, cuffuffle, curfuffle, gefuffle, kafuffle, kerfluff, kerfluffle, kurfuffle
- fuffle (by apheresis)
Etymology edit
Probably from Scots curfuffle, equivalent to ker- + fuffle, or related to Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”). Similar to modern Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”)
Pronunciation edit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /kəˈfʌfəl/
- (US) IPA(key): /kɚˈfʌfəl/
Audio (US) (file) Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ʌfəl
Noun edit
kerfuffle (plural kerfuffles)
- (chiefly Commonwealth, informal) A disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion, or tumult. [from 19th c.]
- Synonyms: brouhaha, donnybrook, fracas, hubbub, hullabaloo, mess, racket
- 2009 May 22, Stuart Heritage, “Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)[1]:
- You know all this kerfuffle about Jordan and Peter Andre, and how you don’t know if they’re really splitting up or it’s just an act […]
- 2011 June 6, Mark Memmott, “Sarah Palin's Had Her Say; Now Let's Hear From Paul Revere”, in The Two-Way[2], National Public Radio:
- There's been a bit of a kerfuffle the past couple days over something Sarah Palin said about Paul Revere.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
disorderly outburst
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Verb edit
kerfuffle (third-person singular simple present kerfuffles, present participle kerfuffling, simple past and past participle kerfuffled)
- (chiefly Ireland, Britain, Commonwealth, informal) To make a disorderly outburst or commotion.