hurry-scurry

H

hurry-scurry (idiom / reduplicative compound)
/ˌhʌriˈskʌri/

Meanings

• A noisy, confused, and busy situation; a state of commotion or bustle.
• In a hurried and disorderly way; with confusion and haste.
• Hasty and careless in planning or action; full of disorganized activity.
• (Rare) To move or rush about in a flurry or panic.

Synonyms: commotion; bustle; flurry; fuss; turmoil; scramble; hustle; rush; confusion.

Example Sentences

1. There was so much hurry-scurry at the railway station that nobody could hear the announcements.
2. People moved hurry-scurry through the corridor trying to find the right conference room.
3. The hurry-scurry arrangement of the event caused several small mistakes.
4. The waiters hurry-scurried to set the tables before the guests entered. (rare verb use)

Origin and History

The phrase “hurry-scurry” emerged in English during the early eighteenth century. It described a state or act of confused haste, bustling disorder, or frantic motion. Linguistic evidence shows it was already circulating in Britain by the early 1730s and began to appear in print by the middle of the century. The word belongs to a period of English rich in vivid reduplicative compounds, where rhythm and rhyme helped intensify meaning.

Etymological Theories

The most accepted theory holds that “hurry-scurry” is a reduplicative formation derived from the word “hurry,” with the second element “scurry” echoing or intensifying the sense of rapid, confused movement. Some linguistic historians propose that the existence of “hurry-scurry” may have even influenced the later creation of the separate verb “scurry”, meaning “to move quickly.” The pairing follows a common English pattern seen in expressions like “helter-skelter“, “hurly-burly”, and “higgledy-piggledy”, all of which convey chaos or disorder.

Earliest Recorded Usage (Manuscript Evidence, 1732)

The earliest known usage of “hurry-scurry” appears in a travel account written in 1732. The author, Ebenezer Forrest, recorded the lively adventures of a small group of London artists, including William Hogarth, during a humorous journey through the English countryside. The manuscript of this “five days’ peregrination,” begun on 27 May 1732, includes phrasing that clearly matches the modern form of “hurry-scurry”, proving that the expression was in active colloquial use in England at that time.

Earliest Printed Record (Book Edition, 1782)

Although composed in 1732, the account was not printed until 1782, when it was published in London under the title An Account of What Seemed Most Remarkable in the Five Days’ Peregrination of … Messieurs Tothall, Scott, Hogarth, Thornhill, and Forrest. In this edition, the author writes:

“Jacobites lived in an eternal hurry-scurry.”

This quotation is the earliest verifiable printed record of the idiom as it appears in its full modern form. It confirms that by the eighteenth century, “hurry-scurry” was well understood by readers to signify restless activity and confusion.

Mid-Century Periodical Usage (1754 Evidence)

Independent of the 1782 edition, records show that “hurry-scurry” was used in London periodicals as early as 1754. Scholars cite its appearance in issue No. 94 of The World, dated 17 October 1754. Though the full text of this issue is rare in modern digital archives, bibliographic listings confirm that the term was circulating in print at least two decades before Forrest’s work was published. This strengthens the view that “hurry-scurry” was part of everyday English speech long before it became widely recorded in print.

Later Literary and Poetic Use

By the latter half of the eighteenth century, “hurry-scurry” had found its way into poetry and prose. Writers used it to evoke lively or chaotic scenes, often with humor or irony. One poetic example example is from the poem “A Dialogue” by Elizabeth Carter (1717–1806). The poem appears in her collected dialogues or miscellanies; the precise original publication date of that particular dialogue is less clearly documented, but it was printed in the eighteenth century during her active lifetime.

The relevant lines are:

“But to run in and out, hurry scurry, and keep / Such a horrible uproar, I can’t get to sleep.”

Such usage demonstrates the idiom’s vividness and adaptability in both literary and conversational English.

Country of Origin

All linguistic and historical evidence identifies England as the birthplace of “hurry-scurry”. The earliest manuscript and printed examples are both from London, and its stylistic form fits naturally within the traditions of English reduplicative compounds. The idiom reflects the playful creativity of eighteenth-century British speech, where rhythm and rhyme were often used to add liveliness or exaggeration to expressions of movement and disorder.

Variants

1. hurry-scurry (most common and standard)
2. hurry scurry (without hyphen)
3. hurry-skurry (older or poetic spelling)
4. hurryscurry (solid form, informal or playful use)

Confusion, Quick