Idiom
flutter in the dovecote
Meaning
A disturbance, usually one caused within a group of people who are generally placid and unexcited.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“The sudden news caused a flutter in the dovecote.”
“His bold fashion choice creates a small flutter in the dovecote at the library.”
“A new rule about coffee breaks causes a flutter in the dovecote today.”
“The announcement of the surprise budget cuts caused quite a flutter in the dovecote among the quiet office staff.”
“The suggestion that we should all work on weekends caused a real flutter in the dovecote during the monthly team meeting.”
“When the quietest neighbor decided to host a loud late-night party, it caused a massive flutter in the dovecote on our street.”
“The arrival of the controversial new manager created a significant flutter in the dovecote, unsettling the long-standing peace of the department.”
Examples
simple
“The sudden news caused a flutter in the dovecote.”
“His bold fashion choice creates a small flutter in the dovecote at the library.”
“A new rule about coffee breaks causes a flutter in the dovecote today.”
contextual
“The announcement of the surprise budget cuts caused quite a flutter in the dovecote among the quiet office staff.”
“The suggestion that we should all work on weekends caused a real flutter in the dovecote during the monthly team meeting.”
“When the quietest neighbor decided to host a loud late-night party, it caused a massive flutter in the dovecote on our street.”
complex
“The arrival of the controversial new manager created a significant flutter in the dovecote, unsettling the long-standing peace of the department.”
Origin
Probably 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.”
Key words
Related idioms
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