tohubohu

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

tohubohu (TOH-hoo-BOH-hoo) - n., chaos, confusion, disorder.


From Hebrew, from tōhū wā-bhōhū, from tōhū, formless/confusion + bhōhū, emptiness -- the phrase coming from the state of the world in Genesis 1:2 before the Creator started work. Borrowed into English around 1615 -- I'm not able to find when the Hebrew short form showed up. With apologies for the Stateside-centric example, but the word fits my mood today:

We're skipping the tohubohu of my in-law's Thanksgiving dinner and having a quiet feast with just ourselves.

---L.

Comments

Ri Ra agus Ruaile Buaile

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

I love it! And the strange thing is as I was reading it out phonetically it reminded me very much of a Gaelic phrase that means roughly the same thing:

"Ruaille buaille" (pronounced roola-boola) means tumult, commotion, ruction, rough & tumble.

Re: Ri Ra agus Ruaile Buaile

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

I think I've heard of that one, once, long ago. Good to come across it again.

---L.