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kerfuffle

Etymology and origin of the English word kerfuffle

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kəˈfʌfəl/ (UK); /kɚˈfʌfəl/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is an alteration of Scots carfuffle, curfuffle,[2][3][4] from car-, probably from Scottish Gaelic cearr “wrong, awkward”, and fuffle “to become dishevelled”.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A disturbance, commotion or fuss.[2][4] Merriam-Webster and the OED date kerfuffle to 1946;[2][4] Etymonline dates the form kafuffle to 1946 and kerfuffle to 1970, with Canadian use said to go back to about 1930.[3]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its meaning, a minor row or commotion,[2][1] and Merriam-Webster labels it chiefly British.[2] Wiktionary records many variant spellings, such as kafuffle and kurfuffle.[1]

Timeline

  • c1930 – said to be used in Canadian English.[3]
  • 1946 – a disturbance, fuss.[2][4][3]
  • 1970 – the spelling kerfuffle.[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. (chiefly British) A disturbance, commotion or fuss.
  • curfuffle

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Kerfuffle.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/kerfuffle. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·