pettifog
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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To pettifog is ‘to engage in legal chicanery’ or ‘to quibble over insignificant details,’” the dictionary advised.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 2, 2020
From the time that Charlton began to pettifog with his conscience, he began to lose peace of mind.
From The Mystery of Metropolisville by Edward Eggleston
He had to pettifog or say it was a forgery.
From Dr. John McLoughlin, the Father of Oregon by Frederick Van Voorhies Holman
The popular understanding of the word criticize is to find fault, to pettifog.
From Plum Pudding Of Divers Ingredients, Discreetly Blended & Seasoned by Christopher Morley
It wouldn't do me any good to pettifog in this matter.
From Opening a Chestnut Burr by Edward Payson Roe
The advice given yesterday with an assurance that only a settled and undoubting conviction could possibly excuse, was to-day pettifogged away mainly on the ground of Charley's worldly prosperity.
From The Faith Doctor A Story of New York by Edward Eggleston
But Fom was never known to lie; she only pettifogged.
From The Madigans by Orson Lowell
Truths once accepted as "self-evident," since become awkward of acceptance, were ever thus pettifogged out of the path, and fundamental principles have in this way prescriptively been tampered with.
From "Imperialism" and "The Tracks of Our Forefathers" by Charles Francis Adams
In every part of Italy,—in Malta, in Savoy, in Parma, in Lucca, in Genoa,—and finally even in Spain, he had pettifogged, bullied, threatened, until his opponents had given way.
From Autobiography of Andrew Dickson White — Volume 2 by Andrew Dickson White
Fancy a creature that has pettifogged, as an underling too, all his life.’
From That Stick by Charlotte Mary Yonge
The virtue of this concept is that it divorces essential protections from pettifogging debates over the definition of “employee.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2022
But the vast majority of our elected representatives overruled the pettifogging legalisms of Kennedy and the others.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 13, 2021
On the first day of the Trump impeachment trial, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts uttered the word "pettifogging" to illustrate a point.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2020
By around the start of Wednesday’s proceedings, the pettifogging over Nadler’s use of “language that is not conducive to civil discourse” had extended from Republicans in the executive, to the judiciary, to the legislative.
From Slate ● Jan. 22, 2020
The town itself was a great many miles from the nearest railway station; moreover, it was a dull little hole, with the limited ideas and pettifogging interests common to up-country townships.
From Aletta A Tale of the Boer Invasion by Bertram Mitford
