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  "description": "The word for today is…\n\npettifogger (noun) -\n\n1: a lawyer whose methods are petty, underhanded, or disreputable : shyster\n2: one given to quibbling over trifles\n\nSource : Merriam-Webster\n\nEtymology : 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- an",
  "path": "/the-good-oil-word-of-the-day-546/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-10T17:15:16.000Z",
  "site": "https://goodoil.news",
  "tags": [
    "Merriam-Webster"
  ],
  "textContent": "The word for today is…\n\npettifogger (noun) -\n\n1: a lawyer whose methods are petty, underhanded, or disreputable : shyster\n2: one given to quibbling over trifles\n\nSource : Merriam-Webster\n\nEtymology : 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.\n\n**_If you enjoyed this Good Oil word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children._**",
  "title": "The Good Oil Word of the Day",
  "updatedAt": "2026-02-10T17:15:16.000Z"
}