kerfuffle

ker·fuf·fle

 (kûr-fŭf′əl)

n. Informal

A to-do or fuss: "Among the oldest corpses from which readable DNA has been extracted is a Neanderthal man. Imagine the kerfuffle if somebody managed to clone him" (Richard Dawkins).

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[Scots, variant of curfuffle : cur-, intensive pref. (from Scots Gaelic car, twist, turn about, from Old Irish cor, a turn; see sker- in Indo-European roots) + fuffle, put into disorder (of imitative origin).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

kerfuffle

(kəˈfʌfəl) ,

carfuffle

or

kurfuffle

n

informal chiefly Brit commotion; disorder; agitation

vb

(tr) Scot to put into disorder or disarray; ruffle or disarrange

[from Scottish curfuffle, carfuffle, from Scottish Gaelic car twist, turn + fuffle to disarrange]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

kerfuffle

Past participle: kerfuffled
Gerund: kerfuffling

Imperative

kerfuffle

kerfuffle

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

kerfuffle - a disorderly outburst or tumult; "they were amazed by the furious disturbance they had caused" commotion, hoo-ha, hoo-hah, hurly burly, to-do, disruption, disturbance, flutter disorder - a disturbance of the peace or of public order turmoil, upheaval, convulsion - a violent disturbance; "the convulsions of the stock market" earthquake - a disturbance that is extremely disruptive; "selling the company caused an earthquake among the employees" incident - a public disturbance; "the police investigated an incident at the bus station" stir, splash - a prominent or sensational but short-lived news event; "he made a great splash and then disappeared" tempest, storm - a violent commotion or disturbance; "the storms that had characterized their relationship had died away"; "it was only a tempest in a teapot" storm center, storm centre - a center of trouble or disturbance garboil, tumult, tumultuousness, uproar - a state of commotion and noise and confusion

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Translations

kerfuffle

[kəˈfʌfl] N (Brit) → jaleo m, follón m (Sp)

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

kerfuffle

n (Brit inf) (= noise) → Lärm m, → Gedöns nt (inf); (= fight) → Balgerei f (inf); (= trouble) → Theater nt (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

kerfuffle

[kəˈfʌfl] n (Brit) → bagarre f inv

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995