Ruffle some feathers
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
To upset or annoy people, stirring trouble like ruffling a bird's plumage-disrupting calm with a flap of dissent.
Origin
From 20th-century America, tied to birds; ruffled feathers signal agitation, slang by the 1930s for unrest. A 1938 'Life' piece uses it for a brash politico. Possibly echoes 'cock feathers,' but simplified, growing into a snappy idiom of upset in a buttoned-up age.
Usage Examples
- Her speech ruffled some feathers in the crowd.
- He loves to ruffle some feathers with his wild ideas.
- That rule change ruffled some feathers at work.
Browse More