What does "pettifog" mean?
Pettifog: To do a petty business as a lawyer; also, to do law business in a petty or tricky way. "He takes no money, but pettifogs gratis." S. Butler.
Additional senses
- 2.To advocate like a pettifogger; to argue trickily; as, to pettifog a claim. [Colloq.]
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00