Fuzzling

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Causing confusion or bewilderment, often through obscure details or unintelligible aspects
2. leading to uncertainty or misunderstanding, as in situations that lack clarity or straightforwardness
3. creating an atmosphere of perplexity that complicates comprehension and makes interpretation challenging

Etymology: "Fuzzling" is the present participle of "fuzzle," a verb whose roots lie in the drinking habits of northern Europe. Its likely ancestor is the Low German "fuseln," meaning to drink common, cheap liquor. That verb was itself built on "fusel," a word for bad or inferior spirits, so the original image is of a mind clouded by bad drink rather than by puzzling ideas. The move from intoxication to confusion is a short one. A person who has had too much cheap liquor finds thinking muddied and words slipping, and "fuzzle" carried that sense of being fogged over and unable to think straight. Over time the meaning shifted from the drinker's own befuddlement to the effect of something on others: a text or argument that leaves its audience muddled. The present participle describes that ongoing effect, so a "fuzzling" passage is one that keeps its reader in a haze.

Synonyms: confusing, puzzling

Antonyms: clear, obvious