1. an uproar; a free-for-all; a brawl 2. a usually public quarrel or dispute
Etymology from the American Heritage Dictionary: After Donnybrook fair, held annually in Donnybrook, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, and noted for its brawls.
There is a longer explanation of the word’s origin on worldwidewords.org
Oh, my ancestors. Ever the creators of new words that mean “to brawl”… what can I say? (besides keep me away from the whiskey)
Thanks for the history Karl!
A