Words, words, words

I love reference materials. A dictionary is a source of great amusement, as one word prompts me to look up another. I've got a fairly good vocabulary (I think anyway) but I find it facinating to see alternate or archaic meanings listed next to everyday words. As I was browsing my online dictionary, I popped over to another dictionary site and lo and behold found Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary, a Wiki sort of affair.

a live, day-by-day chronicle of neologisms based completely on contributions from our users!

I looked up kerfuffle, because I could.

kerfuffle One entry found for kerfuffle. Main Entry: ker·fuf·fle Pronunciation: k&r-'f&-f&l Function: noun Etymology: alteration of carfuffle, from Scots car- (probably from Scottish Gaelic cearr wrong, awkward) + fuffle to become disheveled chiefly British : DISTURBANCE, FUSS

And just because: top 5 searches on encyclopedia dot com's website are for alcoholism, anthropology, automobiles, world war 1, and baptists.