The sudden news caused a flutter in the dovecote.
flutter in the dovecote
idiomA disturbance, usually one caused within a group of people who are generally placid and unexcited.
Origin
first recorded 17th c. disputed originProbably from flutter the dovecote, 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.”
The announcement of the surprise budget cuts caused quite a flutter in the dovecote among the quiet office staff.
The arrival of the controversial new manager created a significant flutter in the dovecote, unsettling the long-standing peace of the department.