pettifogger

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.

“You shall be called,” said the Impeacher, “master Litigious Pettifogger, alias the Courts Comprised.”

From The Sleeping Bard or, Visions of the World, Death, and Hell by Borrow, George Henry

Pettifogger, pet′i-fog-ėr, n. a lawyer who practises only in paltry cases.—v.i.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

“Bear witness, I pray you all,” said the Pettifogger, “as to what the knave called me.”

From The Sleeping Bard or, Visions of the World, Death, and Hell by Borrow, George Henry

“Bouncer, Coxcomb, and Contriver on the one side,” he added, “and on the other Slanderer, Pettifogger, and Meddler are a compound, enough to make a thousand devils sweat their bowels out.”

From The Sleeping Bard or, Visions of the World, Death, and Hell by Borrow, George Henry

This leads me to the simple origin of a word which seems to have posed all our etymologists—it has done so to Richardson at least—namely, "Pettifogger, a low, tricky attorney."

From Notes and Queries, Number 180, April 9, 1853 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc by Bell, George