HAVOC
NOUNS
1616 ► THE DOGS OF WAR in Shakespeare: the unleashed savagery accompanying war; hence, havoc, chaos, esp. resulting from conflict
1828 ► DERSE havoc → Eng. dial.
1905 ► HACK havoc, injury, damage → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
VERBS
1828 ► PLAY OLD GOOSEBERRY to make a great disturbance or commotion; to turn everything into confusion; to cause havoc
1849 ► PLAY THUNDER to wreak havoc; to err, to blunder, to commit an error → Amer. dial.
1874 ► PLAY HAMLET WITH to ‘play the deuce with; to give one a ‘good blowing up’ → Eng. dial.
1895 ► PLAY MERRY-COME-UP to play havoc, to ravage → Eng. dial.
1898 ► PLAY BUGGERY to play havoc with someone or something
1975 ► SCROG to damage; to wreak havoc with → Amer. dial.
Lexicophilia 