pettifog en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /ˈpɛt.iˌfɒɡ/ (UK)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Back-formation from pettifogger.
Meanings
-
(intransitive) To quibble over trivial matters; nitpick.
[Deacon Mushrat to Pogo:] The Machiavellian barratry of a pettifogging public has maundered into do-nothingism.
1959 April 24, Walt Kelly, Pogo, comic strip, →ISBN, page 35:Don't pettifog or we will soon grow weary.
-
(intransitive) To do a petty business as a lawyer, or carry out law business in a petty or tricky way.
He is a common barreter for his pleasure, that takes no money, but pettifogs gratis.
c. 1840, “Samuel Butler”, in Lives of Eminent and Illustrious Englishmen:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pettifogging | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| pettifogs | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| pettifogged | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| pettifogged | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (4)
bg but see чопля (to quibble) · bg педантичен (to quibble) · bg дребнав (to quibble) · fr avocasser (to quibble)