[Ads-l] fluffle

Thu Mar 12 11:53:25 UTC 2026

Disney's _Zootopia 2_ (2025) : [A] fluffle [is] a bunch of rabbits.

So now everybody under the age of 12 knows.

JL

On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 5:52 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Further "fluffle" follow-up... I wrote about the word for my Wall Street
> Journal column this week. Thanks to the listener who called in to "A Way
> With Words," I was able to connect with two of the friends who coined
> "fluffle" as undergrads at Univ. of Alberta and put it on Wikipedia as a
> joke. Now the story can be told!
>
> https://on.wsj.com/4au1bzk (should be non-paywalled)
>
> --bgz
>
> On Thu, Feb 29, 2024 at 1:29 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Here's the segment on "fluffle" that Grant and Martha did for "A Way With
> > Words":
> >
> > https://www.waywordradio.org/fluffle-rabbit-coinage/
> >
> > Grant mentioned that "fluffle" has been added to Wiktionary. And it
> > appears that one of the listeners to the radio show recently edited the
> > entry to cite this very ADS-L thread as evidence that the word was invented
> > on Wikipedia.
> >
> > https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fluffle
> >
> > --bgz
> >
> > On Tue, Jan 16, 2024 at 6:33 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Given how "fluffle" has spread in the manner of urban folklore, it's
> >> appropriate you're talking to a "friend of a friend" (FOAF).
> >>
> >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend_of_a_friend
> >>
> >> On Tue, Jan 16, 2024 at 6:18 PM Grant Barrett <gbarrett at worldnewyork.org>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Tomorrow on the radio show we're going to talk with a friend of a friend
> >>> of
> >>> one of the people who supposedly added "fluffle" to Wikipedia. They're
> >>> wondering if their friend was indeed part of the group that started the
> >>> word or if there is prior art. Should be interesting to hear more.
> >>>
> >>> GB
> >>>
> >>> On Thu, Jun 29, 2023 at 12:24 PM Jonathan Lighter <
> >>> wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> > Germane? Or meaningless coincidence?
> >>> >
> >>> > 1990 Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Dec. 12) A-2: Looking for the CHRISTMAS
> >>> BUNNY?
> >>> > Yes! A Bunny called Fluffles IS the Christmas Bunny. He's dressed in
> >>> > holiday finery [etc.]
> >>> >
> >>> > [Ad for a plush rabbit doll.]
> >>> >
> >>> > JL
> >>> >
> >>> > On Wed, Jun 28, 2023 at 8:58 PM Jonathan Lighter <
> >>> wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> >>> > wrote:
> >>> >
> >>> > > 295,000 raw Googlits.
> >>> > >
> >>> > > JL
> >>> > >
> >>> > > On Wed, Jun 28, 2023 at 6:25 PM Chris Waigl <chris at lascribe.net>
> >>> wrote:
> >>> > >
> >>> > >> What a rabbit hole :) ! Moonies and "northern Canada", huh?
> >>> > >>
> >>> > >> Well, there are no wild rabbits in northern Canada, so if there's
> >>> > anything
> >>> > >> to this I'd be tempted to look into how local groups talk about
> >>> snowshoe
> >>> > >> hares and Arctic hares.
> >>> > >>
> >>> > >> Now, of course, this factoid has entered the mainstream and morphed
> >>> > into a
> >>> > >> self-fulfilling prophecy.
> >>> > >>
> >>> > >> Chris
> >>> > >>
> >>> > >> On Wed, Jun 28, 2023 at 12:32 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>> > >>
> >>> > >> > I was recently forwarded this language factoid:
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> > "A group of wild rabbits is called a 'fluffle' and I've never
> >>> loved
> >>> > the
> >>> > >> > English language more."
> >>> > >> > https://twitter.com/mastersrex/status/1315295446584168448
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> > I'm always curious how these things spread, and this one sent me
> >>> down
> >>> > a
> >>> > >> > rabbit-hole, appropriately enough. Here's a timeline:
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> > July 30, 2007: Wikipedia user Freeridr adds an unsourced claim to
> >>> the
> >>> > >> entry
> >>> > >> > for "rabbit": "A group of rabbits or hares are often called a
> >>> > 'fluffle'
> >>> > >> in
> >>> > >> > parts of Northern Canada."
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >>
> >>> >
> >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rabbit&diff=prev&oldid=148126554
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> > Apr. 29, 2008: The text of the Wikipedia "rabbit" entry
> >>> (including the
> >>> > >> > "fluffle" line) is copied over to New World Encylopedia, a site
> >>> run by
> >>> > >> Sun
> >>> > >> > Myung Moon's Unification Church.
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >>
> >>> >
> >>> https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Rabbit&oldid=699288
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> > Feb. 17, 2010: The "fluffle" line is deleted from Wikipedia by an
> >>> > editor
> >>> > >> > ("Removed supposed naming of a group of rabbits as a 'fluffle',
> >>> as I
> >>> > >> can't
> >>> > >> > verify it").
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >>
> >>> >
> >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rabbit&diff=prev&oldid=344646745
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> > Sept. 29, 2013: Reddit user AaronM97 asks, "What's a fact you know
> >>> > that
> >>> > >> > will cheer me up?" Among the thousands of replies, user AmyEarhart
> >>> > >> submits
> >>> > >> > "a group of bunnies is called a fluffle."
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >>
> >>> >
> >>> https://web.archive.org/web/20130930183135/https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1nexqv/whats_a_fact_you_know_that_will_cheer_me_up/
> >>> > >> >
> >>> https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1nexqv/comment/cci0rsz/
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> > Oct. 5, 2013: Thought Catalog publishes "30 Random, Interesting
> >>> Facts
> >>> > >> That
> >>> > >> > Will Cheer You Up" based on the Reddit thread, including
> >>> AmyEarhart's
> >>> > >> > "fluffle" submission.
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >>
> >>> >
> >>> https://web.archive.org/web/20131020055608/https://thoughtcatalog.com/timmy-parker/2013/10/30-facts-that-will-cheer-you-up/
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> > Mar. 19, 2014: Buzzfeed publishes "64 Facts That Will Make You
> >>> Feel
> >>> > >> > Incredibly Happy," which includes "a group of bunnies is called a
> >>> > >> fluffle."
> >>> > >> > The listicle links to the New World Encylopedia entry for
> >>> "rabbit,"
> >>> > >> which
> >>> > >> > retained the "fluffle" line despite its removal from Wikipedia.
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >>
> >>> >
> >>> https://web.archive.org/web/20140319201849/https://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/facts-that-will-make-you-feel-incredibly-happy
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> > And from there it multiplied like rabbits all over the place!
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> > --bgz
> >>>
> >>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org