foofaraw

noun

foo·​fa·​raw ˈfü-fə-ˌrȯ 

1

: frills and flashy finery

2

: a disturbance or to-do over a trifle : fuss

Did you know?

Foofaraw originates in the American West where it has been variously spelled as "fofaraw," "forfarraw," and "froufraw," among other spellings. In writings of the pioneer West, it names the frivolous trinkets, baubles, and gewgaws used in trade. Around the 1930s, the word's more common meaning of a fuss or brouhaha developed-probably from the to-do that showy foofaraw stirred up-and people began to settle on the spelling "foofaraw." Etymologists have speculated that this eye-catching word may have come about from a mishearing of Spanish fanfarrón, meaning "braggart" or "boaster." French froufrou, a word for the rustling of a woman's skirts or showy ornamentation, may have also influenced it, however. Another possible connection is the French expression fou faraud, meaning "foolish dandy."

Synonyms

• ado
• alarums and excursions
• ballyhoo
• blather
• bluster
• bobbery
• bother
• bustle
• clatter
• clutter [chiefly dialect]
• coil
• commotion
• corroboree [Australian]
• disturbance
• do [chiefly dialect]
• fun
• furor
• furore
• fuss
• helter-skelter
• hoo-ha
• hoo-hah
• hoopla
• hubble-bubble
• hubbub
• hullabaloo
• hurly
• hurly-burly
• hurricane
• hurry
• hurry-scurry
• hurry-skurry
• kerfuffle [chiefly British]
• moil
• pandemonium
• pother
• row
• ruckus
• ruction
• rumpus
• shindy
• splore [Scottish]
• squall
• stew
• stir
• storm
• to-do
• tumult
• turmoil
• uproar
• welter
• whirl
• williwaw
• zoo

Examples of foofaraw in a Sentence

the foofaraw that accompanies any big wedding

Recent Examples on the Web

For many Americans who don’t celebrate Christmas, sitting out the foofaraw while the whole country conducts Christmas consumption is an annual dose of alienation. —Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 23 Nov. 2020

No foofaraw: Of course a cleric—in Chih’s case, one who belongs to a holy order tasked with traveling the land and collecting stories—wouldn’t concern themself with gender. —Wired Staff, Wired, 29 Sep. 2020

What was Anne Boleyn up to while this whole Charles Brandon foofaraw was happening in England? —Anne Thériault, Longreads, 25 May 2018

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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