▪ I. hurly-burly, n., a., and adv.
(ˈhɜːlɪˈbɜːlɪ)
Also (with or without hyphen) 6 howrley burlei, horl(e)y borl(e)y, hurly burle, hurlei burley, whorle borle, whourliburly, 6–7 hurli(e) burli(e), -ly(e, -ley, 6– hurley burley.
[Known from c 1540. The phrase hurling and burling occurs somewhat earlier. In this, the first word is hurling vbl. n., sense 3, ‘commotion’, and burling seems to have been merely an initially-varied repetition of it, as in other ‘reduplicated’ combinations and phrases which express non-uniform repetition or alternation of action. Hurly-burly holds the same relation to hurling and burling, that the simple hurly1 holds to hurling vbl. n. 3.
But hurly-burly cannot, with present evidence, be considered a direct formation from hurly, since the latter has not been found before 1596. It is difficult to establish any historical contact with Fr. hurluberlu a heedless, hasty person (Rabelais a 1535), or the Ger. hurliburli adv., precipitately, with headlong haste (see Littré and Grimm).]
A. n. Commotion, tumult, strife, uproar, turmoil, confusion. (Formerly a more dignified word than now.)
| [c 1530 Ld. Berners Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814) 240 Than the archbysshop answered hym agayne right sharplye; and so there began muche hurlynge and burlynge in the courte.] |
| 1539 Taverner Gard. Wysed. ii. E ij b, Hys comons, whome..he perceuyed in a hurly burly..and ready to make an insurrection. 1545 Primer Hen. VIII Prayers (1848) 506 For thy sake suffer I all this hurly-burly. 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 231 In this tyme of insurrection, and in the rage of horley borley. 1552 T. Barnabe in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. II. 201 This whorle borle of takinge of our shippes. 1571 Golding Calvin on Ps. ix. 14 Such as are desperate doo rage with more hurlyburly and greater headynesse. 1580 Baret Alv. B 1346 Whourliburly that riseth of a soudain and great feare. 1605 Shakes. Macb. i. i. 3 When the Hurley-burley's done, When the Battaile's lost, and wonne. 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. i. ii. §18. 81 Nor could such a Deity ever have any quiet enjoyment of himself, being perpetually filled with tumult and Hurliburly. 1764 O'Hara Midas i. 5 What can this hurly-burly, this helter⁓skelter mean? Jove looks confounded surly!—Chaos is come again. 1824 L. Murray Eng. Gram. (ed. 5) I. 429 Avoid low expressions: such as ‘Topsy turvy, hurly burly, pellmell’. 1830 De Quincey Bentley Wks. 1863 VI. 43 In the very uttermost hurly-burly of the storm. 1888 Burgon Lives 12 Gd. Men I. ii. 158 The voices which make themselves heard above the ‘hurley burley’. |
b. with a and pl. An instance of this.
| 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. x. 63 These hurly burlyes the deuill shall rayse agaynste the gospell. 1575 Brieff Disc. Troub. Franckford (1846) 67 By occasion of our striffes and hurley burlies. 1600 Holland Livy ii. xxix. 63 These so great sturres and mutinous hurliburlies [tantum concitum turbarum]. 1657 J. Smith Myst. Rhet. 73 English Examples of Onomatopeia..By imitation of sound, as to say, a hurliburly, signifying a tumult or uproar. 1764 Mrs. Delany in Life & Corr. Ser. ii. I. 40, I have..given up all public hurley-burleys, but enjoy the recital of them very well. 1866 Carlyle Remin. I. 114 Those Rector hurries and hurlyburlies, now so sad to me. |
B. adj. Characterized by or attended with commotion, tumult, or disturbance; tumultuous.
| 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, v. i. 78 Newes Of hurly burly Innouation. 1648 Persecutio Undecima 11 In the hurlyburly days of queen Elizabeth. 1761 Sterne Tr. Shandy III. v, What has con furia—con strepito—or any other hurlyburly word whatever to do with harmony? 1815 Scott Fam. Lett. 28 Nov. (1894) I. xi. 350 A hurly-burly sort of performance. |
† C. adv. In commotion, tumultuously; in confusion; confusedly. Obs.
| a 1563 Becon Flower godly Prayers Wks. (1563) ii. 186 b, Albeit the powers of this world..come together hurly burly..against the Lorde and his annoynted. ? c 1600 Distracted Emp. ii. i. in Bullen O. Pl. III. 187 Offices are like huntinge breakfasts gott Hurlye burlye, snatcht with like greedynes. 1615 J. Taylor (Water P.) Siege Jerus. 37 Wks. (1630) 14/1 They hurly burly all things overturn'd. 1704 J. Pitts Acc. Mahometans 106 We set out..without any Order at all, all hurly burly. |
▪ II. hurly-burly, v. Obs. or arch.
[f. prec.]
† 1. trans. a. To hurl or bandy about. b. To throw into confusion or uproar. Obs.
| 1550 Bale Apol. 48, I approve..the grounde of a vow..and not the name of it, as it hath been hurly-burlyed in Antichristes kyngdom. 1678 Pol. Ballads (1860) I. 214 This hurly-burlies all the town, Makes Smith and Harris prattle. |
2. intr. To make a hurly-burly or uproar.
| 1598 Florio, Garbugliare, to garboile, to hurli-burlie, to turmoile. 1614 T. Freeman Runne & great Cast i. F iv, Still more and more conceits come flocking in And in my braines do Hurly-burly it. 1884 G. Allen Philistia III. 13 The red-haired hurlyburlying Scotch professor. |