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Affray vs Barney - What's the difference?

affray | barney |

As nouns the difference between affray and barney

is that affray is the act of suddenly disturbing any one; an assault or attack while barney is (uk|australia|cockney rhyming slang) a noisy argument or barney can be (united states|pejorative slang) an insult directed at a police officer, usually by someone who believes the officer to be inferior or overzealous.

As verbs the difference between affray and barney

is that affray is to startle from quiet; to alarm while barney is (uk|australia|cockney rhyming slang) to argue, to quarrel.

affray

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The act of suddenly disturbing any one; an assault or attack.
  • A tumultuous assault or quarrel.
  • The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others.
  • The affray in the busy marketplace caused great terror and disorder.

    Synonyms

    * fray, brawl. * alarm, terror, fright.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To startle from quiet; to alarm.
  • * Chaucer
  • Smale foules a great heap / That had afrayed [affrayed] me out of my sleep.
  • To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.
  • * Shakespeare
  • That voice doth us affray .

    barney

    Translingual

    Proper noun

    (mul-proper noun)
  • A botanical plant name author abbreviation for botanist E.E. Barney (fl. 1877-79).