stickle

Meanwhile in London His Majesty's Government continued to stickle for the oath in a sharp note to the Irish Free State, so sharp that last week neither sender nor receiver would divulge the contents.

From Time Magazine Archive

Classicists from Nick's, who stickle for the traditions of the Chicago Style, nodded their heads in austere approval.

From Time Magazine Archive

The world is wondrous fickle; But lately it would stickle For Progress by Exam.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 100, May 30, 1891 by Various

Our author in this second volume has given the small carpers who pick at the ‘eds’ of past participles, and stickle for old-fashioned moon-shine instead of moon-shine, fewer causes of complaint.

From The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine, February 1844 Volume 23, Number 2 by Various

“Let three hundred be taken, and if you find more wanted do not stickle to add to this number.”

From Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln A Short Story of One of the Makers of Mediaeval England by Charles L. (Charles Latimer) Marson

He stickled as little against mere forms as for them; only, if they stood between the soul and Christ or between a Christian and his brethren, then he was their uncompromising opponent.

From The Life of St. Paul by James Stalker

"One party of English soldiers stickled not to contravene these commands, being tempted with the desire of finding victuals."

From On the Spanish Main Or, Some English forays on the Isthmus of Darien. by John Masefield

"Ten to one as a County magnate he stickled for it, and the High Sheriff put him on the panel to keep him amused."

From Lady Good-for-Nothing by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

The widow Bevis indeed stickled hard for me.

From Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 5 by Samuel Richardson

You may remember, Sam, that your poor father always stickled for a roast leg of lamb at Easter.

From Shining Ferry by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

The film, which was made largely with a $20,000 grant from the Wikimedia Foundation, spends time showing what has been lost to Wikipedia because of stickling rules of citation and verification.

From New York Times ● Aug. 8, 2011

After the "Schweinehund Speech," however, it was clear that Briand and Poincare are one in stickling for cash.

From Time Magazine Archive

If you don't see why, then you do not know the stickling of a Briton's sense of law and a Scotchman's conscience.

From The Freebooters of the Wilderness by Agnes C. (Agnes Christina) Laut

Months elapsed before it was clear to him that his grievance was nothing but idle trifling which originated in his over-anxious stickling at words.

From Dame Care by Bertha Overbeck

I really think I could give you a commission without much stickling of my conscience.

From Vivian Grey by Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield