- Today's Word
Quibble
[KWIB-uhl]
Definition
- (verb) To argue or raise objections about a trivial matter or minor point, especially in an attempt to evade a truth or responsibility. As a noun, it refers to the act of raising such an objection or the objection itself.
Example
Instead of addressing the main issue, the politician quibbled over the exact wording of the question, frustrating both the interviewer and the audience.
Fun Fact
The word “quibble” is believed to have originated in the early 17th century. It may be related to the now-obsolete word “quib,” meaning a quip or witty remark. Some linguists suggest it might be connected to the Latin word “quibus,” which was used in legal documents and could be seen as a source of petty arguments. Over time, “quibble” has come to be associated with nitpicking or splitting hairs, often in a way that detracts from the main point of a discussion or argument.
(adjective) Swollen and distended; or, in reference to language, pompously inflated and unnecessarily complex
The report’s turgid prose buried what should have been a straightforward recommendation under layers of jargon and self-importance.
Turgid derives from the Latin turgidus, meaning “swollen” or “inflated,” from turgere (“to swell”). It entered English in the 17th century first in its literal biological sense — describing swollen tissue or distended plant cells — before its metaphorical application to bloated, overblown language became equally common.