donnybrook
/ˈdɒnɪbrʊk
/noun North American & Australian /NZ
A scene of uproar and disorder; a heated argument: raucous ideological donnybrooks...
- People were accused of entering into the donnybrook without experience, knowledge, good faith, rationality, sobriety or even their own hitherto recognisable identities.
- It will be interesting to see whether the ‘public use’ issue becomes a factor in the donnybrook that is brewing over the next Supreme Court nominee.
- He was more upbeat, feeling the donnybrook had cleared the air.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from the name of a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, formerly famous for its annual fair.