Literary notes about scuffle (AI summary)
The term "scuffle" is used by authors to evoke a sense of sudden, often disordered conflict that may be either brief and playful or fraught with violence. At times, it captures the energy of a quick, even if forceful, confrontation—as when a character is left panting after a violent bout [1] or when in the heat of battle a near-fatal exchange unfolds [2]. In other instances, it conveys a certain informality or confusion in physical encounters, whether in a crowded room where lighthearted commotion occurs [3] or in more fateful moments where the consequences extend beyond the immediate foray, as seen in historical or mythic conflicts [4, 5]. This varied usage highlights the word’s flexibility in signifying both chaotic disorder and the fleeting intensity of a struggle.
- Albert stood over him, panting a little from the brief but violent scuffle.
— from Insidekick by Jesse F. (Jesse Franklin) Bone - The blue whirl of men got very near, until it seemed that in truth there would be a close and frightful scuffle.
— from The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane - There was a sound of many voices below, a giggling, a rush for the stairs, and a playful scuffle.
— from Only an Incident by Grace Denio Litchfield - In the scuffle which ensued Œdipus struck the old man with his heavy stick, and he fell back dead on the seat of the chariot.
— from Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Berens - In the scuffle, your son struck Sir George, and cut him over the eye.
— from Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
