kerfuffle meaning (informal): definition

kerfuffle

noun

UK /kəˈfʌfəl/ · US /kɚˈfʌfəl/

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”)

Commonwealth, Informal A disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion, or tumult.

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[…]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), archived from the original on 15 Apr 2024:
There's been a bit of a kerfuffle the past couple days over something Sarah Palin said about Paul Revere.2011 June 6, Mark Memmott, “Sarah Palin's Had Her Say; Now Let's Hear From Paul Revere”, in The Two-Way, National Public Radio:

1 more example

The debate seemed innocuous—a minor kerfuffle, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved and moved on from.2023 May 28, Nadia Asparouhova, “Remembering GitHub's Office, a Monument to Tech Culture”, in Wired, →ISSN:

Derived terms: kerfluff, kerfuffly

kerfuffle

verb

Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, Informal To make a disorderly outburst or commotion.