| 释义 |
▪ I. curˈfuffle, v. Sc.
[Deriv. of a simple fuffle v. to disorder: the first syllable is perh. Gaelic car twist, bend, turn about; used in combination in car-fhocal quibble, prevarication, car-shúil rolling eye, car-tuaitheal wrong turn: cf. the Lowland Sc. curcuddoch, curdoo, curgloff, curjute, curmurring, curnoited, in which the prefix seems to have the sense of L. dis-.]
trans. To put into a state of disorder; to ruffle.
1583R. S. Leg. Bp. St. Androis in Sempill Ballates (1872) 215 His ruffe curfufled about his craig. 1768Ross Helenore 81 (Jam.) Ye ken where Dick curfuffled a' her hair.
▪ II. curˈfuffle, n. Sc.
Also carfuffle, cafuffle, etc.
[f. prec. vb.
Now widely used as a colloquialism in the forms gefuffle and (esp.) kerfuffle.]
Disorder, flurry, agitation.
1813G. Bruce Poems 65 An' Jeanie's kirtle, aye sae neat, Gat there a sad carfuffle. 1816Scott Antiq. xx, Monkbarns in an unco carfuffle. Ibid. xxix, Troth, my lord maun be turned feel outright..and he puts himself into sic a curfuffle for ony thing ye could bring him, Edie. 1823Misses Corbett Petticoat Tales I. 333 (Jam.) Ye need na put yoursel into ony carfuffle about the matter. 1953John o' London's 3 July 602/3 The word cafuffle is still in general use in her part of Scotland..as a noun meaning a state of confusion. 1955C. S. Lewis Surprised by Joy vii. 114, I could put up with any amount of monotony far more patiently than even the smallest disturbance, bother, bustle, or what the Scotch call kurfuffle. 1960K. Martin Matter of Time 187 The girl next door and her boy friend are having a wee cafoufle in the garden. 1961Radio Times 14 Dec. 3/2 You remember the cafuffle there was when the Ministry of Transport introduced their ten-year test for cars. 1971Times 9 Jan. 16/4 Since the predictable pre-April curfuffle, there has been the predictable summer and autumn hush. |