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foofaraw

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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First attested in the 1930s, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to French fanfaron (boasting).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈfu.fəˌɹɔ/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

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foofaraw (plural foofaraws) (informal)

  1. Overly excessive or flashy ornamentation or decoration.
    • 1944, Time, volume 44, page 15:
      The thumping bands, the badges, the pretty girls and all the time-honored foofaraw failed to charge up the Republican batteries to the sparking point. The great engine just would not turn over — at the start.
    • 2013 October 13, Erik Adams, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Lisa’s Wedding” (season six, episode 19; originally aired 3/19/1995)”, in The Onion AV Club[1]:
      Yes, there’s a romance at the center of the episode, though it’s just as much of a red herring as the layers of futuristic foofaraw.
  2. Fuss over something of little importance.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:commotion
    • 2001 February 23, Paulina Borsook, “Art's Cold Welcome on the Web”, in The New York Times[2], →ISSN:
      In the whole foofaraw around Napster, what mostly got lost was the artists. They are the Belgians of this controversy, trampled by armies heading someplace else.
    • 2022 September 22, HarryBlank, “Mind Over Matter”, in SCP Foundation[3], archived from the original on 23 May 2024:
      Lillian was therefore determined to keep dancing for as long as humanly possible. When Ngo fell into step beside her, she turned a corner hard enough to cut the lockstep short. When Ngo re-emerged to the fore, Lillian swung back aft. Once, she opened a door in the psychiatrist's face. Twice she walked directly into a crowd — into them, not among them, momentarily losing her pursuer in the resultant foofarah.

Further reading

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