pettifogger

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Related terms 1.3.2 Translations

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From petty + fogger.

[edit] Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈpɛtɪˌfɒgə/
• (US) IPA: /ˈpɛtɪˌfɑːgɚ/, /ˈpɛtɪˌfɔːgɚ/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -ɒgə(r)

[edit] Noun

pettifogger (plural pettifoggers)

1. Someone who quibbles over trivia, and raises petty, annoying objections.
2. An unscrupulous or unethical lawyer, especially one of lesser skill.

   • 1885: …yet he has never sought by browbeating and other arts of the pettifogger, to confuse, baffle, and bewilder a witness… The Bay State Monthly, Vol. 3, No. 6

[edit] Related terms

• pettifog
• pettifoggery

[edit] Translations