Fratches

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term describing quarrels, petty arguments, or minor scuffles ; or referring to scratches, marks, or superficial damages resulting from friction or minor conflicts
2. Used for small fights, disagreements, or scrapes ; and also for slight blemishes or abrasions caused by rubbing or confrontation
3. Indicative of mild disputes, tiffs, or clashes ; as well as referring to light surface wounds or scratches arising from minor altercations

Etymology: "Fratches" is the plural of "fratch," a noun for a small quarrel or squabble, and it also covers the minor scrapes and abrasions that come from rubbing or from a brush with a fight. Its roots lie in a sound rather than a feeling. The Middle English verb "fracchen" meant to make a harsh, strident noise, such as a creaking hinge or a grating rasp, and the same root survives in Scots, where "fratch" means to quarrel. The connection makes sense once you hear the sense of noisy friction. A quarrel is, in essence, a loud grating between people, and the wearing-down of skin by rubbing is a close physical cousin of that grating. The word therefore carries both the harsh noise and the abrasion within one older sense.