pettifog

Everyday

1. (old) To argue about small, unimportant details in a fussy way. tree →
2. (old) To act as a petty, tricky lawyer who works on small, mean cases. tree →

In the lessons

Very rare; found in old books, mostly as «pettifogging» (fussy about tiny details) and «pettifogger» (a petty, tricky lawyer). In stories it describes a fussy, mean-minded person who argues about nothing, like the court in Alice's trial.

Examples

• Stop pettifogging about the rules and let's play! tree →
• The pettifogging clerk counted every penny. tree →
• He was called a pettifogger by the angry judge. tree →
• The old lawyer would pettifog for hours over a comma. tree →
• Don't pettifog — the main idea is right. tree →

Note

Rare and old-fashioned. Commonest form: the adjective «pettifogging». Related to «petty» (small, unimportant).