Foofaraw \FOO-fuh-raw\ , noun;
1. Excessive or flashy ornamentation or decoration
2. A fuss over a matter of little importance
Foofaraw is first attested in 1848 from French fanfaron and Spanish fanfarrón. The Spanish form is an adjective meaning "ostentatious, vain, arrogant" or a noun meaning "braggart, show-off" and it is supposedly of imitative origin. The word came to English through contact with Spanish and French speakers on the American western frontier.
Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Friday, May 20
Etymologies come from the Oxford English Dictionary and/or Etymonline.com
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