Kerfuffle
Etymology
From Scots, recorded in the early 1800s (in forms like "curfuffle"). It is generally traced to a Scots verb "fuffle," meaning to dishevel or throw into disorder, combined with a prefix of uncertain origin (possibly from Scottish Gaelic). The image is of things being ruffled up into disarray — a fitting root for a word meaning a flustered little fuss.
noun · /kur-FUF-ul/
A commotion or fuss, especially one caused by conflicting views.
What it names
A gently dismissive word for a fuss that feels bigger than it is — the small, noisy dust-up that blows over quickly.
Example
There was a brief kerfuffle over the seating chart, and then everyone sat down and forgot about it.
Related idea
A brouhaha is a louder, more public uproar; a kerfuffle is smaller-scale and more easily smoothed over.
See also