At one of my writers’ critique group meetings, the word ruckus came up. One member submitted an article where she used the word ruckus. It was in the context of someone who was in prison and up for patron. She said the family made a ruckus with the parole board to have him kept locked up.
Another member questions the use of ruckus in that context. She said it was a “playful” word.
When I got home, I decided to do some research on ruckus.
Basically, it means a noisy commotion or noisy disturbance. It can also be used to describe a heated controversy. Like words are commotion and tumult.
It appears it may be a combination of ruction and rumpus. Ok, back to the dictionary. A ruction (which I never heard of) means a disturbance, quarrel or row. Rumpus is defined as a noisy or violent disturbance or uproar.
Didn’t people used to have rumpus rooms? Hmmmm.