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What is "to ruffle the feathers of"

The Collaborative International Dictionary
To ruffle the feathers of

Ruffle \Ruf"fle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ruffled; p. pr. & vb. n. Ruffling.] [From Ruff a plaited collar, a drum beat, a tumult: cf. OD. ruyffelen to wrinkle.]

  1. To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.

  2. To furnish with ruffles; as, to ruffle a shirt.

  3. To oughen or disturb the surface of; to make uneven by agitation or commotion.

    The fantastic revelries . . . that so often ruffled the placid bosom of the Nile.
    --I. Taylor.

    She smoothed the ruffled seas.
    --Dryden.

  4. To erect in a ruff, as feathers.

    [the swan] ruffles her pure cold plume.
    --Tennyson.

  5. (Mil.) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.

  6. To discompose; to agitate; to disturb.

    These ruffle the tranquillity of the mind.
    --Sir W. Hamilton.

    But, ever after, the small violence done Rankled in him and ruffled all his heart.
    --Tennyson.

  7. To throw into disorder or confusion.

    Where best He might the ruffled foe infest.
    --Hudibras.

  8. To throw together in a disorderly manner. [R.]

    I ruffled up falen leaves in heap.
    --Chapman

    To ruffle the feathers of, to exite the resentment of; to irritate.

Usage examples of "to ruffle the feathers of".

If you had, you would have found this world waiting for you without my being here to ruffle the feathers of the lovely heroine.

But there had been no reason to ruffle the feathers of the Chinese, who were prone to complain that as many people spoke their language as did English (even though, in private, their representatives would admit that Chinese had never spread very far beyond the boundaries of those who were ethnically Han).