# flutter the dovecote

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/flutter-the-dovecote
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To create a disturbance, usually within a group of people who are generally placid and unexcited.

## Examples

- His sudden announcement really fluttered the dovecote.
- You flutter the dovecote whenever you bring your loud dog into this quiet library.
- My bold question about salaries always flutters the dovecote at these boring office meetings.
- The arrival of the unexpected audit notice fluttered the dovecote among the quiet accounting staff.
- The young intern really flutters the dovecote when she suggests that the senior partners should stop using paper files entirely.
- A surprise guest at the wedding flutters the dovecote among the relatives who expected a very small, private ceremony.
- The radical proposal from the new director fluttered the dovecote, causing a stir among the long-serving members who preferred the status quo.

## Origin

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.” (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.