fuss and feathers


noun
  1. an excessively elaborate or pretentious display; ostentation.

Origin of fuss and feathers

1
First recorded in 1890–95

Words Nearby fuss and feathers

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

Other Idioms and Phrases with fuss and feathers

fuss and feathers

Needless commotion and display, as in There was so much fuss and feathers over the award ceremony that I decided not to attend. This expression probably survives because of its appealing alliteration. [Mid-1800s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.