pettifogger

noun

pet·​ti·​fog·​ger ˈpe-tē-ˌfȯ-gər 

-ˌfä-

1

: a lawyer whose methods are petty, underhanded, or disreputable : shyster

2

: one given to quibbling over trifles

pettifogging

ˈpe-tē-ˌfȯ-giŋ 

-ˌfä-

adjective or noun

pettifoggery

ˈpe-tē-ˌfȯ-g(ə-)rē 

-ˌfä-

noun

Did you know?

In its earliest English uses, "pettifogger" was two separate words: "pettie fogger." "Pettie" was a variant spelling of "petty," a reasonable inclusion in a word for someone who is disreputable and small-minded. But why "fogger"? It may come from "Fugger," the name of a successful family of 15th- and 16th-century German merchants and financiers. Germanic variations of "fugger" were used for the wealthy and avaricious, as well as for hucksters. 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.

Examples of pettifogger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For nearly three years now, I’ve been fascinated by the performance art of this blustering pettifogger. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

probably from petty + obsolete English fogger pettifogger

First Known Use

1564, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pettifogger

• cataloger
• cataloguer
• uncompahgre
• auger
• augur
• blogger
• dogger
• jogger
• laager
• lager
• logger

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