mayhem = "chaos; (hence) extraordinary clutter"

[Jonathan Lighter]

Tonight's episode of "Clean House: Search for the Messiest House" (Style
Channel) involved a really messy house loaded with monkey knick-knacks and
clutter.

The host exclaimed, "With the monkeys and the mayhem" the place was a mess.

I have long noticed "mayhem" used on TV to mean "noise and confusion, esp.
as caused by small children."

JL

--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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