Mess vs Fuss - What's the difference?
mess | fuss |
(obsolete) Mass; church service.
A quantity of food set on a table at one time; provision of food for a person or party for one meal; also, the food given to an animal at one time.
* Milton
A number of persons who eat together, and for whom food is prepared in common; especially, persons in the military or naval service who eat at the same table.
* 1610 , , IV. iv. 11:
A set of four (from the old practice of dividing companies into sets of four at dinner).
(US) The milk given by a cow at one milking.
(label) To take meals with a mess.
(label) To belong to a mess.
(label) To eat (with others).
(label) To supply with a mess.
A disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; hence, a situation resulting from blundering or from misunderstanding; a disorder.
(label) A large quantity or number.
(label) Excrement.
(label) To make a mess of.
(label) To throw into confusion.
(label) To interfere.
Excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something.
* (Thomas Carlyle) (1795-1881)
*{{quote-book, year=1935, author=
, title=Death on the Centre Court, chapter=1
, passage=“Anthea hasn't a notion in her head but to vamp a lot of silly mugwumps. She's set her heart on that tennis bloke
# A complaint or noise.
# An exhibition of affection or admiration.
One who is unduly anxious about trifles.
* (1837-1920)
To be very worried or excited about something, often too much.
To fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
(especially of babies) To cry or be ill-humoured.
To show affection for, especially animals.
To pet.
In intransitive terms the difference between mess and fuss
is that mess is to interfere while fuss is to fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something.In transitive terms the difference between mess and fuss
is that mess is to throw into confusion while fuss is to pet.mess
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) (m), partly from (etyl) . More at (m); see also (m).Noun
(es)- A mess of pottage.
- At their savoury dinner set / Of herbs and other country messes .
- the wardroom mess
- But that our feasts / In every mess have folly, and the feeders / Digest it with accustom,
- (Latimer)
Derived terms
* Eton mess * lose the number of one's mess * mess hall * mess up * Mills MessExternal links
*Verb
External links
*Etymology 2
Perhaps a corruption of (etyl) , compare (muss), or derived from Etymology 1 "mixed foods, as for animals".Noun
(-)Quotations
* (English Citations of "mess")Synonyms
* see alsoVerb
(es)Derived terms
(terms derived from "mess") * messy * mess around * mess up * mess withExternal links
*References
*Anagrams
* ----fuss
English
Noun
(es)- zealously, assiduously, and with a minimum of fuss or noise
George Goodchild
- I am a fuss and I don't deny it.
Verb
(es)- His grandmother will never quit fussing over his vegetarianism.
- Quit fussing with your hair. It looks fine.
Usage notes
* Generally used with with, over, or about.Verb
(head)- He fussed the cat.