palaver

Drawing up what is known as a Written Ministerial Statement can often be a bit of a palaver, those who do it regularly admit.

From BBC ● May 3, 2023

Kéré’s strong affinity for his native land informs his practice — he references local symbols like the baobab or palaver tree; a traditional blue boubou garment he wore as a child.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2022

Daub brings the same sharp eye for sophistry to other forms of palaver that move capital in Silicon Valley.

From New York Times ● Oct. 13, 2020

The plot features a lot of palaver about Deems’ scheme to switch suppliers and the gangster’s comically thwarted attempts to punish Sportcoat, who’s oblivious to the danger.

From Slate ● Mar. 11, 2020

"It's been quite pleasant, our little palaver, sir," I said.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

He did not just excavate the ethos of Africa from bygone times, he also reflected the present: bringing to life everyone from the politicians to the prostitutes, and prophesied the palavers that were to come.

From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2020

A girl palavers with a strange man with a tie on his head.

From Washington Post ● May 25, 2017

A minor palaver ensued, prolonged as much as possible by the sort of internet crusaders who devote their lives to prolonging minor palavers.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 10, 2012

After months of surrealist palavers, the princes finally met last week in the capital city of Vientiane.

From Time Magazine Archive

Say this to M'bisibi from me, that I think he is very wise and understands ghosts and such-like palavers.

From Bones Being Further Adventures in Mr. Commissioner Sanders' Country by Edgar Wallace

Eons ago, in the dark ages of video stores, adventurers navigated labyrinthine aisles and palavered with part-time archmaesters to find treasured artifacts of the fantasy film genre.

From The Verge ● Jun. 2, 2018

In the back country, often carried in a hammock, the traditional mode of travel for Liberian VIPs, he palavered endlessly with jungle chiefs.

From Time Magazine Archive

All week long, under giant camelthorn trees at Serowe, thatched-hut capital of the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland in South Africa, the tar-black chieftains of the Bamangwato tribe pondered and palavered.

From Time Magazine Archive

At any rate, surely, they palavered Jack betune them until he sot down and consinted.

From The Ned M'Keown Stories Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of William Carleton, Volume Three by William Carleton

Den Brer Fox en Brer Wolf dey sorter palavered on, dey did, twel bimeby Brer Wolf he up'n say dat he done got plan fix fer ter trap Brer Rabbit.

From Uncle Remus, his songs and his sayings by Joel Chandler Harris

Such palavering is wasted time for a woman facing a literal deadline.

From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2023

Mr. Suh’s preoccupation is with the construction and collapse of identity, which we witness both in the Charlie Chan scenes and in those that feature Frank and his friends rehearsing and palavering.

From New York Times ● Nov. 10, 2015

Fifteen months ago, the Central broke off merger talks with the Pennsylvania, the biggest U.S. railroad, after palavering for 14 months without agreement.

From Time Magazine Archive

While palavering with Jack Paar before millions of viewers not long ago, Georgie went on and on about his watch, a Bulova.

From Time Magazine Archive

Come, come, Mr. Palaverer, for all your palavering, did you yourself never shut out nature of a cold, wet night?

From The Confidence-Man by Herman Melville