grabuge

French

Etymology

From 1526, as gaburge (“dispute, fight”). Unknown, but perhaps from Venetan garbugio (“fight, skirmish”), probably a deverbal from garbugliare (“to disturb, confuse”), from bugliare (“to agitate”), from northern dialect boglire (“to heat up, boil”). Cognate with Italian garbuglio (“tumult, mess”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡʁa.byʒ/

Noun

grabuge m (plural grabuges) (informal)

1. scrap, ruckus; mayhem
2. quarrel (discussion that turns violent)
   • 2019, Alain Damasio, chapter 2, in Les furtifs [The Stealthies], La Volte, →ISBN:

     Il m’a dit que Sahar était encore sur la place, mais à l’abri, que le grabuge se tassait, qu’elle n’était pas blessée.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Further reading

• “grabuge”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.