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Kerfuffle vs Havoc - What's the difference?

kerfuffle | havoc |

As nouns the difference between kerfuffle and havoc

is that kerfuffle is a disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion or tumult while havoc is widespread devastation, destruction.

As a verb havoc is

to pillage.

As an interjection havoc is

a cry in war as the signal for indiscriminate slaughter.

kerfuffle

English

Alternative forms

* curfuffle, kafuffle, kerfluffle, kurfuffle * fuffle (by apheresis)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion or tumult.
  • * 2009 May 22, Stuart Heritage], “[http://www.hecklerspray.com/jon-kate-latest-people-you-dont-know-do-crap-you-dont-care-about/200934378.php Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About]”, [http://www.hecklerspray.com/ Hecklerspray
    • 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
  • * 2011 June 6, Mark Memmott, “ Sarah Palin's Had Her Say; Now Let's Hear From Paul Revere”, The Two-Way , National Public Radio
    • There's been a bit of a kerfuffle the past couple days over something Sarah Palin said about Paul Revere.

    Synonyms

    * brouhaha * fracas * hubbub * mess * racket

    havoc

    English

    Alternative forms

    * havock (e.g. in Milton)

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • widespread devastation, destruction
  • * Bible, Acts viii. 3
    • As for Saul, he made havoc of the church.
  • * Addison
    • Ye gods, what havoc does ambition make / Among your works!
  • :* {{quote-book
    • , year=1918 , year_published=2008 , edition=HTML , editor= , author=Edgar Rice Burroughs , title=The People that Time Forgot , chapter= citation , genre= , publisher=The Gutenberg Project , isbn= , page= , passage=But when I had come to that part of the city which I judged to have contained the relics I sought I found havoc that had been wrought there even greater than elsewhere. }}
  • mayhem

    • Usage notes

    The noun havoc is most often used in the set phrase wreak havoc. Old Hungarian Goulash?, The Grammarphobia Blog, October 31, 2008

    Derived terms

    * play havoc, raise havoc, wreak havoc, cry havoc, break havoc

    Verb

  • To pillage.
  • * 1599 , , Henry V , Act I, Scene II:
    • To tear and havoc more than she can eat.
  • To cause .

    • Usage notes

    As with other verbs ending in vowel + -c, The gerund-participle is sometimes spelled havocing, and the preterite and past participle is sometimes spelled havoced; for citations using these spellings, see their respective entries. However, the spellings havocking and havocked are far more common. Compare panic, picnic.

    References

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • A cry in war as the signal for indiscriminate slaughter.
  • * Toone
    • Do not cry havoc , where you should but hunt / With modest warrant.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Cry "havoc", and let slip the dogs of war!