---
title: pettifog — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «pettifog» in the school dictionary: To argue about small, unimportant details in a fussy way. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# pettifog

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** tricky lawyer, you, 's, pettifogging clerk, angry judge, old lawyer · **What happens:** argue, act, work, stop, pettifog, let · **To what, where:** fussy way, 's, penny, He, comma · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«pettifog» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 5 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [pettifog in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/pettifog.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: old — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To argue about small, unimportant details in a fussy way.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:pettifog:m1:1
# text = To argue about small, unimportant details in a fussy way.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	argue	argue	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	about	about	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
4	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
6	unimportant	unimportant	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	details	detail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	fussy	fussy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **argue** *speech: disagree* | to-infinitive |  |  |  | a fussy way |  | about small unimportant details | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V PP.theme S»: agent=Agent about detail=Topic |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: old — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To act as a petty, tricky lawyer who works on small, mean cases.

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:pettifog:m2:1
# text = To act as a petty, tricky lawyer who works on small, mean cases.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	act	act	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	as	as	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	petty	petty	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
7	tricky	tricky	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	lawyer	lawyer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	appos	_	_
9	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	10	nsubj	_	_
10	works	work	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
11	on	on	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
12	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
14	mean	mean	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	cases	case	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **act** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | as a petty | vn masquerade-29.6-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent as petty=Attribute |
| 2 | **work** | present | tricky lawyer |  |  |  |  | on small mean cases | vn employment-95.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent on case=Theme |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Stop pettifogging about the rules and let's play!

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:pettifog:x1:1
# text = Stop pettifogging about the rules and let's play!
1	Stop	stop	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	pettifogging	pettifog	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	1	xcomp	_	_
3	about	about	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	rules	rule	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	let	let	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
9	play	play	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stop** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Affector clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **pettifog** | gerund | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  | about the rules | tree rules |
| 3 | **let** | infinitive | you *not said here* | 's |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **play** | infinitive | 's *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn performance-26.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The pettifogging clerk counted every penny.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:pettifog:x2:1
# text = The pettifogging clerk counted every penny.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	pettifogging	pettifogging	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	clerk	clerk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	counted	count	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl	_	_
5	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
6	penny	penny	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **count** | participle | the pettifogging clerk *not said here* | every penny |  |  |  |  | vn multiply-108 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent penny=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He was called a pettifogger by the angry judge.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:pettifog:x3:1
# text = He was called a pettifogger by the angry judge.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	called	call	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	pettifogger	pettifogger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	xcomp	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	angry	angry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	judge	judge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **call** | past · passive | the angry judge | He |  |  |  |  | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent subject=Recipient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The old lawyer would pettifog for hours over a comma.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:pettifog:x4:1
# text = The old lawyer would pettifog for hours over a comma.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	lawyer	lawyer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	pettifog	pettifog	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	hours	hour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
8	over	over	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	comma	comma	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pettifog** | would | the old lawyer |  |  | a comma | hour |  | tree rules |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Don't pettifog — the main idea is right.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:pettifog:x5:1
# text = Don't pettifog — the main idea is right.
1	Do	do	AUX	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	pettifog	pettifog	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	—	-	PUNCT	:	_	9	punct	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	main	main	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	idea	idea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
9	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **pettifog** | imperative · do-support | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | the main idea |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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