flutter the dovecote en · VERB
Pronunciation
- [-ɾɚ-] (General-American)
- /ˌflʌtɚ ðə ˈdʌvkɑt/ (General-American)
- /ˌflʌtə ðə ˈdʌvkɒt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Possibly from Coriolanus (written c. 1608–1609; published 1623) by the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616), Act V, scene vi (spelling modernized): “[L]ike an eagle in a dovecote, I / Fluttered your Volcians in Corioles.”
Meanings
- (idiomatic) To create a disturbance, usually within a group of people who are generally placid and unexcited.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| flutter the dovecotes | alternative | lexicographic | |
| flutter the dovecot | alternative | lexicographic | |
| flutters the dovecote | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| fluttering the dovecote | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| fluttered the dovecote | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| fluttered the dovecote | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Relateds
Translations (2)
pl zrobić zamieszanie (to create a disturbance, usually within a group of people who are generally placid and unexcited) · pl robić zamieszanie (to create a disturbance, usually within a group of people who are generally placid and unexcited)