flutter the dove-cots

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

At the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, at Bath on 7 September 1888, “the dive-cots were much fluttered”, reported the leader-writer of The Star, by the appearance of a strange and rather startling figure…who calmly denounced as robbers some of the men the world is accustomed to regard as the ornaments of society, the patterns of morality, and the pillars of the church. This was M. George Bernard Shaw.

flutter the dove-cots = cause a commotion

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

[riquecohen]

Your interpretation sounds reasonable, considering the context. (A dove-cote is a shelter for pigeons.) British English certainly has some colorful expressions. An American equivalent could be '''to ruffle someone´s feathers."