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Hullabaloo

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hullabaloo slang

Slang – Hullabaloo.

Meaning

A commotion, disturbance, uproar or fuss. This expression is used to describe some kind of noisy argument or disagreement. A hullabaloo is a loud noise caused by people who are annoyed or angry. This slang can also be used to describe a loud and chaotic situation, or a lot of excited activity.

Hullabaloo is British English slang. It probably comes from Scotland or northern England. This is quite an old-fashioned expression that is still used today. There is another Scottish slang expression that can be used to describe a noisy or lively argument – argy-bargy!

If you are interested in Scottish culture check out our photo vocabulary page on bagpipes. You might also like to check out our article on the slang expression numpty, a phrase that can be used to describe a foolish person.

A similar informal expression is kerfuffle.

Example:

  • “I just wanted to borrow a book but the librarian was crazy. He created a hullabaloo over nothing!”

Learn More

Look it upHullabalooWiktionary

What is slang?

Slang is very informal language. It’s usually spoken rather than written, and is often used by a particular group of people or in a particular place. Slang changes over time, and using it well is a great way to sound more natural when speaking English.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a hullabaloo?

A noisy fuss or commotion.

Is “hullabaloo” old-fashioned?

A little, but it is still widely used, often in a humorous way.

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