different between fracas vs barney

English

Etymology

From French fracas, derived from fracasser, from Italian fracassare, from fra- + cassare, equivalent to Latin infra + quassare.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?f?æk??/, /f???k??/
  • Plural: IPA^(key): /?f?æk??z/, /f???k??z/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?f?e?k?s/, /?f?æk?s/

Noun

fracas (plural fracases or fracas)

1. A noisy disorderly quarrel, fight, brawl, disturbance or scrap.
   • 1989, Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day, Faber 1999, paperback edition, p. 16,

     And I recall also some years ago, Mr Rayne, who travelled to America as valet to Sir Reginals Mauvis, remarking that a taxi driver in New York regularly addressed his fare in a manner which if repeated in London would end in some sort of fracas, if not in the fellow being frogmarched to the nearest police station.

   • 1964, Philip K. Dick, The Simulacra, Vintage Books 2002, paperback edition, p. 37,

     The Oregon-Northern California region had lost much of its population during the fracas of 1980; it had been heavily hit by Red Chinese guided missiles, and of course the clouds of fallout had blanketed it in the subsequent decade.

Synonyms

• brouhaha
• donnybrook
• kerfuffle
• melee

Related terms

• quash

Translations

Anagrams

• Frasca, carsaf

French

Etymology

Probably an independent derivation from fracasser, from Italian fracassare. Alternatively directly borrowed from Italian fracasso, from the same verb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f?a.k?/

Noun

fracas m (plural fracas)

1. crash
2. din, roar

Descendants

• ? English: fracas

Further reading

• “fracas” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Galician

Adjective

fracas

1. feminine plural of fraco

Portuguese

Adjective

fracas

1. feminine plural of fraco

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: bä?ni, IPA^(key): /?b??ni/
• (General American) enPR: bä??ni, IPA^(key): /?b??ni/
• Rhymes: -??(?)ni

Etymology 1

Etymology unknown. Often incorrectly thought to be Cockney rhyming slang from "Barney Rubble" ( "trouble", from the character Barney Rubble on The Flintstones), it actually dates back to the 19th century and its origin is unknown.

Noun

barney (plural barneys)

1. (obsolete, Britain, slang) A lark, a romp, some fun.
2. (obsolete, Britain, slang) A hoax, a humbug, something that is not genuine, a rigged or unfair sporting contest.
3. (obsolete, Harvard University slang) A poor recitation. [c. 1810]
4. (Britain, Australia, slang) A noisy argument.
5. (Britain, Australia, slang) A minor physical fight.
6. (US dialect, Boston) A student at Harvard University.

Adjective

barney (comparative more barney, superlative most barney)

1. (obsolete, Britain, slang) insane crazy, loony.

Synonyms

• (noisy argument): quarrel, row, or see Thesaurus:dispute
• (fight): fisticuffs, scuffle, or see Thesaurus:fight

Verb

barney (third-person singular simple present barneys, present participle barneying, simple past and past participle barneyed)

1. (obsolete, Harvard University slang) To recite badly; to fail. [c. 1810]
2. (Britain, Australia) To argue, to quarrel.

Synonyms

• (argue): bicker, have a barney, row, squabble, or see Thesaurus:squabble

References

• Hall, Benjamin Homer (1851) A Collection of College Words and Customs?^[8], page 15
• Albert Barrère and Charles G[odfrey] Leland, compilers and editors (1889–1890) , “barney”, in A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant […], volume I (A–K), Edinburgh: […] The Ballantyne Press, OCLC 882571771, pages 81–82
• Farmer, John Stephen (1890) Slang and Its Analogues?^[9], volume 1, page 129

Etymology 2

From the character Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show.

Noun

barney (plural barneys)

1. (US, pejorative slang) A police officer, usually one perceived as inferior or overzealous.
   • 2005, “Scott Peterson's sister speaks out”, in (Please provide the title of the work)?^[10], MSNBC, March 3, 2005: “Foo”

Synonyms

• (police officer): fed, pig, or see Thesaurus:police officer

Anagrams

• brayne, nearby