The British slang Kerfuffle means ado, commotion, argument, noisy activity, or disagreement. 

Kerfuffle slang is used humorously or in an easygoing manner to describe a serious situation. 

Basically, it is an informal way to describe a small perturbation or dispute. 

For example, if a group of friends is loudly discussing their results or about paper in public, they create a kerfuffle situation.

If someone gives an embarrassing statement and others are confused in understanding it could also create a kerfuffle. 

Is curfuffle really a word?

Yes, it is a variant of the slang kerfuffle. As far as the 1960s, it was used in all sorts of such as curfuffle, carfuffle, camouflage, cafuffle, and even gefuffle. In the 19th century, the variants carfuffle and kerfuffle became nouns, but in the 20th century when they became more popular with a larger demographic. Anglophones standardized the term as kerfuffle candidly describe ruffle. 

How to pronounce kerfuffle?

Kerfuffle can be pronounced as:

• Ker-fuf-ul
• ker-fuf-fle
• Ker-fuhf-uh l
• k-er-fuf-fle
• ker-fuffle

Origin of Slang Kerfuffle: 

The British slang kerfuffle has Scottish roots and originates in the early 16th century. It is a combination of the Scots Gaelic word car ( twist or arch), which comes from the Irish “cor” and the Scots word fuffle, which means disordered and ruffle someone feather.

Over time, with linguistic, religious, and community changes, the term evolved with meaning fuss, connotation, or noisy activity, whether due to excitement or argument. 

Who uses kerfuffle First? 

The slang kerfuffle was first time used in 1946 in the writing of Frank Sargeson

Examples of Kerfuffle: 

• Farhan has a serious headache because of the kerfuffle in the meeting. 
• She lost her mobile last night during the kerfuffle with her friends about which movie they should watch.
• The customers get into a kerfuffle when they find that Nehari is defrosted. 
• The consecutive delay in the salaries caused a kerfuffle among the employees, and many of them asked for a meeting with the CEO.
• There is a kerfuffle in the chemistry department when all the students get A grades in organic chemistry. 

Synonyms Of Kerfuffle: 

• Fracas, uproar, panic, brouhaha, turmoil, stir, furor, hurricane, to-do, alarmus and excursion, hurley, ruction, clatter, pother, racket, squall, upheaval, hubble-bubble, hurry-skurry, shindy, coil, zoo, foofaraw, storm, bustle, agitation, confusion,  hassle, Strief, clamor, turbulence, blow up. 

Is it Curfuffle or kerfuffle?

Before the 1960s, people pronounced it as a curfuffle, and after the 20th century, when it became popular,  embraced by the broader population as a kerfuffle in modern usage. 

Final Words:

So, we give you a brief overview of the British slang kerfuffle, which has Scottish roots. 

Curfuffle is its older version, but both versions have the same meaning: commotion, agitate, fuss, or annoy. Folks use it in their daily conversation jovially to describe a serious situation.