pettifogger
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pettifogger
- /ˈpɛtɪˌfɒɡə/ UK
- /ˈpɛtɪˌfɑɡɚ/ US
- /ˈpɛtɪˌfɔɡɚ/ US
Rhymes with -ɒɡə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
petty + fogger
noun pettifoggers
-
Someone who quibbles over trivia, and raises petty, annoying objections and sophistry.
Hence the cunning measure of appointing as ambassador some political pettifogger skilled in delays, sophisms, and misapprehensions, and dexterous in the art of baffling argument.
Similar: nitpicker
-
An unscrupulous or unethical lawyer, especially one of lesser skill.
"An inn, or a tavern . . . these are places where greasy citizens take pipe and pot, where the knavish pettifoggers of the law spunge on their most unhappy victims.
Similar: shyster
Translations
Every language
noun Someone who quibbles
| Deutsch | Haarspalter, Erbsenzähler, Wortklauber, Kleingeist |
|---|
noun An unscrupulous lawyer
| Español | leguleyo, picapleitos, buscapleitos, rábula, soplacausas, abogadillo |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 訟棍 /讼棍 sònggùn |
| Português | rábula |
| Français | avocaillon, chicaneur |
| Deutsch | Winkeladvokat, Rechtsverdreher |
| Italiano | leguleio |
Talk about this word "pettifogger." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/pettifogger. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. pettifogger. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/pettifogger "pettifogger." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/pettifogger.Cite this
@misc{pettifogger_2026,
title = {pettifogger},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/pettifogger},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
