Who is a Pettifogger?
Asked by: Dr. Norval Kuphal III | Last update: January 23, 2026Score: 4.9/5 (36 votes)
pettifogger • \PET-ee-fog-ur\ • noun. 1 : a lawyer whose methods are petty, underhanded, or disreputable :
Who is called Pettifogger?
Definition of 'pettifogger'
1. a lawyer of inferior status who conducts unimportant cases, esp one who is unscrupulous or resorts to trickery. 2. any person who quibbles or fusses over details.
What is an example of a Pettifogger?
someone who gives too much attention to small details that are not important : Some critics were grudging about his production of Hamlet, but he shouldn't take any notice of such pettifoggers. a lawyer who uses methods that may deceive people : Many of these lawsuits may have been fabricated by pettifoggers.
What is another word for pettifogger?
Definitions of pettifogger. noun. a disputant who quibbles; someone who raises annoying petty objections. synonyms: caviler, caviller, quibbler. malcontent.
What does the slang word Pettifogging mean?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, "Pettifogging people give too much attention to small, unimportant details in a way that shows a limited mind." On that note, let's dive in. Petty + fogger = pettifogger. Petty means small or insignificant. A fogger is old slang for a "huckster, a cringing whining beggar."
🔵 Pettifog - Pettifogger Meaning - Pettifoggery Examples - Posh English
What is a synonym for pettifogging?
captious carping fussy hairsplitting hard to please hypercritical nagging niggling nit-picking overcritical quibbling. pettifogging (adjective as in inconsiderable)
What is a Snollygoster slang?
Slang. a clever, unscrupulous person.
What is a derogatory name for a lawyer?
In the U.S., slang and derogatory terms include mouthpiece, shyster, shark, pettifogger (now rare) and ambulance-chaser. In the UK, there are legal professionals called “solicitors” who have a role that's different from that of “barristers,” the lawyers who appear as counsel in the highest-level courts.
What is the derivation of Pettifogging?
The verb was actually formed from the noun "pettifogger", which was used in the 16th Century to describe those who would argue over minor details in a fee. Merriam-Webster also notes that the term was often used to describe "lower-status lawyers" who would take on small cases.
What is a remorseless person called?
synonyms: pitiless, ruthless, unpitying. merciless, unmerciful.
What is the legal meaning of Pettifoggery?
Meaning of pettifoggery in English
the use by a lawyer or lawyers of methods that may deceive people : The argument is an example of legal pettifoggery at its worst. I have never seen such outrageous pettifoggery in a courtroom.
Who was Pettifogger?
In English, a "pettie fogger" was originally a small-time operator of a shady business. We're not sure why the word came to be applied specifically to lawyers, but it appears to have initially referred to lower-status attorneys who argued the smaller, less important cases.
What is the meaning of Flibbertigibbet and examples?
Flibbertigibbet is one of many incarnations of the Middle English word flepergebet, meaning "gossip" or "chatterer" (others include flybbergybe, flibber de' Jibb, and flipperty-gibbet). It is a word of onomatopoeic origin, created from sounds that were intended to represent meaningless chatter.
What are examples of pettifoggers?
someone who gives too much attention to small details that are not important : Some critics were grudging about his production of Hamlet, but he shouldn't take any notice of such pettifoggers. a lawyer who uses methods that may deceive people : Many of these lawsuits may have been fabricated by pettifoggers.
Who had lunacy in their family?
Answer : In light of the statement, "you lomovs have had lunacy in your family, all of you", Chubukov expresses reluctance towards Lomov's proposal for Natalya's hand in marriage. The baker in Goa was considered a friend, companion, and guide to the children, showing a close and nurturing relationship.
Who is called Chapmen?
Chapmen were seller of 'penny chapbooks'. Penny chapbooks were those books which covered literature topics and stories for children to adults. These books were then sold on the streets to earn a penny. Therefore, these books are known as Penny chapbooks, and persons who sell penny chapbooks are known as Chapmen.
What is an example of pettifogging?
(of people or their behavior) giving too much attention to small details that are not important: He says the power in too many hospitals belongs to overpaid, pettifogging pencil pushers who treat surgeons as inferiors. The cab drivers were protesting against the pettifogging pettiness of traffic cops.
What is the Latin root word for forgetfulness?
Oblivion asks forgetfulness of us in both its meaning and etymology. The word's Latin source, oblīvīscī, means “to forget; to put out of mind,” and since its 14th century adoption into English, oblivion has hewed close to meanings having to do with forgetting.
What is the Latin word for delirium?
Delirium derives from the Latin “de lira,” or “off the tracks.” We have noted a tendency for students and healthcare professionals to misspell delirium as “delerium.” We examined if this error also occurs in the academic literature.
What do you call a shady lawyer?
crooked lawyer (noun as in shyster) Strong matches. cheater chiseler mouthpiece pettifogger scammer trickster.
What is an unethical lawyer called?
unethical lawyer (noun as in shyster) Strong matches. cheater chiseler mouthpiece pettifogger scammer trickster. Weak matches. ambulance chaser crooked lawyer.
What do you call a person who is not a lawyer?
"Nonlawyer" means someone who isn't a lawyer.
What is Bumfuzzle?
bum·fuz·zle. ¦bəm¦fəzəl. -ed/-ing/-s. chiefly dialectal. : confuse, perplex, fluster.
Who is ninnyhammer?
(ˈnɪniˌhæmər) noun. a fool or simpleton; ninny. Word origin. [1585–95; ninny + hammer]This word is first recorded in the period 1585–95.
What is a Cattywampus?
Cattywampus. Originating in the Colonial United states and still used in the deep South, cattywampus means something that is in disarray, that is askew, or something that isn't directly across from something.