kerfuffle means A disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion, or tumult. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why this word is great
KERFUFFLE — [Noun] A disorderly outburst, commotion, or fuss, typically caused by a dispute or conflict. Probably from Scots curfuffle, from ker- (an intensive prefix) + fuffle ("to throw into disorder"), with possible relation to Irish cíor thuathail ("confusion, bewilderment") and Welsh cythrwfl ("uproar, trouble"). Unlike a fracas, which implies physical blows and shattered glass, or a hubbub, which is merely ambient civic din, a kerfuffle is a distinctly social spasm—a flustered, non-lethal agitation. It is the scandalized flutter of a village committee over a misplaced gavel, the spluttering indignation at a misprinted village fête cake, and the furious, flapping disagreement over a misheard croquet rule—the comforting proof that our deepest passions are often reserved for the most trivial of stages, a brief, absurd reminder that order is but a thin veneer.
noun
- 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[…]”
verb
- To make a disorderly outburst or commotion.