# Have you ever heard of this word before: Palaver? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 26, 2025, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845 "2025-02-26T21:41:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/81 "2025-02-27T18:37:16Z")
I first encountered the word at age thirteen, when my eighth grade English class was collectively reading an English translation of _Don Quixote_. The word was spoken by Sancho Panza, as an expression of annoyance at Don Alonso’s habit of waxing prosaic when given the slightest opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/82 "2025-02-27T18:49:51Z")
Known the word for years – at least since I was a teenager, back in the '70s – but I’ve never used it and don’t think I’ve ever heard it used. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/83 "2025-02-27T19:14:48Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > as an expression of annoyance at Don Alonso’s habit of waxing prosaic when given the slightest opportunity. That word “prosaic” you have used. I do not think it means what you think it means. As to palaver: Count me as another who’s read it in mostly British or archaic contexts but has never heard it and has probably never used it. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/84 "2025-02-27T19:23:46Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > prosaic Prolix, mayhap. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/85 "2025-02-27T19:24:35Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > > > as an expression of annoyance at Don Alonso’s habit of waxing prosaic when given the slightest opportunity. > > That word “prosaic” you have used. I do not think it means what you think it means. I meant in the sense that he wasn’t as lyrical as he imagined, but fine: _waxing eloquent_. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/86 "2025-02-27T19:44:57Z")
Parabola, parole, parlor, parley, etc.: Drilling farther down into the etymology, it all goes back to Greek _para ballein_, literally ‘to throw beside’. Setting ideas side by side to compare them. Maybe it’s significant that one of the Ancient Greek meanings of _paraballo_ is ‘vie with one another’. It has a lot of different meanings deriving from “throw beside,” some of which are relevant to this thread and others not so much. [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/παραβάλλω#Ancient\_Greek](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%B1%CE%B2%CE%AC%CE%BB%CE%BB%CF%89#Ancient_Greek) ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/87 "2025-02-27T19:57:34Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Parabola, parole, parlor, parley, etc.: Drilling farther down into the etymology, it all goes back to Greek _para ballein_, literally ‘to throw beside’. Most sources have _palaver_ as coming from Portuguese _palavra_ for word or speech. Whether that actually came from _para ballein_ I don’t think is relevant, because _palavra_ would have have simply meant “word” or “speech” at the time when it became borrowed as _palaver_. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/88 "2025-02-27T19:57:52Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Parabola, parole, parlor, parIey, etc.: Drilling farther down into the etymology, it all goes back to Greek _para ballein_, literally ‘to throw beside’. Setting ideas side by side to compare them. Maybe it’s significant that one of the Ancient Greek meanings of _paraballo_ is ‘vie with one another’. It has a lot of different meanings deriving from “throw beside,” some of which are relevant to this thread and others not so much. > > [παραβάλλω - Wiktionary, the free dictionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%B1%CE%B2%CE%AC%CE%BB%CE%BB%CF%89#Ancient_Greek) This is off-topic, but I wanted to note that you have come to my attention lately as a Doper who is _extremely_ well-versed in matters of language, and I’d like to express my gratitude that you so freely share of your knowledge with the rest of us. I find myself wondering if you would describe yourself as a _linguist_ or as a _philologist_? ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/89 "2025-02-27T19:59:42Z")
Brit here: agree with the posters who say it means a bit of a to-do, a kerfuffle, an unexpected/unnecessary fuss etc. And the phrasing ‘well that was a bit of a palaver’. I’ve never heard of it meaning ‘a talk’ or ‘a chat’. I’d say it’s a bit old fashioned and I can’t imagine many people under 50 would use it, ever. But that’s just my guess. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/90 "2025-02-27T20:06:58Z")
Thank you, it’s very kind of you. I study the science of linguistics, I enjoy the avocation of philology, and I earn money by translating. I think of philology as historical linguistics applied to literature; _Studies in Words_ by C.S. Lewis being the perfect example (e.g. it delves into the deep connection of _nature_ and _kin_; fascinating stuff). ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/91 "2025-02-27T20:07:51Z")
Just be glad I didn’t take it all the way back to Proto-Indo-European! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/92 "2025-02-27T20:12:07Z")
For what it’s worth, whenever you show up I’m pretty happy too, @Johanna. You know your stuff and share knowledge well and gracefully! ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/93 "2025-02-27T20:33:48Z")
I think I first heard this from the Decemberists’ “On the Bus Mall”, so yes. Come to think of it I think I heard of this band first from SDMB… ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/94 "2025-02-27T22:10:27Z")
I lived in West Africa as a boy and _palaver_ was a description of a discussion between a group of native tribal elders. These discussions tended to be noisy and heated. So a _palaver_ was a noisy, heated group discussion. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/95 "2025-02-27T22:12:47Z")
I’ve seen the word from time to time, but I’d not really known the definition. I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard the word spoken. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/96 "2025-02-27T22:25:10Z")
Exactly what I meant in my post upthread ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/97 "2025-02-27T22:42:17Z")
Off-topic, but seeing “parabola” reminds me of P.G. Wodehouse and his line “across the pale parabola of joy”, a brilliant parody of early 20th century poetry. It’s in one of the Psmith stories. I wouldn’t be surprised to find “palaver” used by Wodehouse. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/98 "2025-02-27T23:43:36Z")
Australian here - Americans _really_ need to grasp that English is the language of the Commonwealth as much as it is the language of the UK - and palaver is understood here too, though not really a common term. I associate it with [Polari](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polari) though that may or may not be accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/99 "2025-02-28T00:09:05Z")
I always figured it was British for someone with a lot of friends. You know, a real pal 'aver. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845/100 "2025-02-28T11:49:42Z")
I’d not heard it until I moved from the US to the UK. It’s always used as “what a palaver” similar to “what a full” or “what a ball ache”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-word-before-palaver/1014845.md?page=6)