A charivari is a noisy, mock serenade or a confused, noisy spectacle.
A charivari is a noisy, mock serenade or a confused, noisy spectacle.
| Front | charivari \shiv-uh-REE, SHIV-uh-ree, shuh-riv-uh-REE\ |
|---|---|
| Back | noun 1. A noisy, mock serenade to a newly married couple, involving the banging of kettles, pots, and pans. 2. A confused, noisy spectacle. [From French charivari (hullabaloo), perhaps from Latin caribaria (headache), from Greek karebaria, from kare/kara (head) + barys (heavy). Earliest documented use: 1735. Also spelled as chivaree, chivari, and shivaree.] "To the people, the charivari of Westminster politics didn't much matter." - Polly Toynbee and David Walker; Dear New Leader; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 27, 2010. "Vivid performances abound in Bartholomew fair, making it essentially an extended charivari of colourful characters, with several thin threads of plot." - Pat Donnelly; Fair is Anything But Pastoral; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Jul 4, 2009. |
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