>from the Quinion link: Up to the 1960s, it was written in all sorts of ways - curfuffle, carfuffle, cafuffle, cafoufle, even gefuffle (a clear indication that its main means of transmission was in speech, being too rarely written down to have established a standard spelling). But in that decade it suddenly became much more popular and settled on the current kerfuffle.


Intriguing to think there may still be words around that are spoken, but rarely written.