Today’s WOTD – 20 September 2012

kerfuffle 

(also carfuffle or kurfuffle)

[kuh-fuh-fel]

— n
1. informal chiefly ( Brit ) commotion; disorder; agitation

— vb
2. ( Scot ) ( tr ) to put into disorder or disarray; ruffle or disarrange

[from Scottish curfuffle, carfuffle, from Scottish Gaelic car twist, turn + fuffle to disarrange]

For example:

– The Boxing Day Sale caused a great kerfuffle in the shopping centre.

Today’s quote

‘There’s an old saying in Tennessee – I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee – that says, fool me once, shame on – shame on you. Fool me – you can’t get fooled again’.

George W. Bush

On this day

20 September 2001 – U.S. President George W. Bush declares a ‘war on terror’.

20 September 2011 – the U.S. military ends its ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, allowing gay servicemen and women to serve openly.