Pell-Mell
/ˌpɛlˈmɛl/noun
In a confused, hurried, or disorderly way.
Did you know?The phrase entered English through French and was used for disorderly movement long before it became a neat adverb, showing how sound itself can carry chaos across languages.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval French
French
pel a pel
“one skin against another; closely packed, jostling together”
16th Century
French
pêle-mêle
“mixed up, in confusion, pell-mell”
16th–17th Century
English
pell-mell
“in a confused heap or disorderly rush”
Modern English
English
pell-mell
“in a hurried, confused, or disorderly manner”