kerfuffle

Way to go, Dubya! President Bush delighted word-lovers, if not political opponents, with the use of a charmingly obscure yet descriptive term for commotion or disturbance:

"President Bush is known as a plainspoken man, a straight-talker. So how did a word like 'kerfuffle' come out of his mouth? It's not an everyday word; it means a commotion or fuss... Someone had asked about his administration's warrantless surveillance program, which has stirred concern about whether it exceeds the bounds of his authority and violates the law.
Saying the program had 'created quite a kerfuffle in the press,' Bush gave his rationale for authorizing it. No question, the program has riled some Republicans and Democrats. But Bush may be the only politician who says it has caused a kerfuffle."

Link: President Bush talks 'kerfuffle'

Posted March 23, 2006.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.