Quibble

• 1656

Definitions

• 1: To pun, to play on words.
• 2: To raise a petty objection; to argue about a triviality; to evade the point at issue by a quibble.

b: To make use of quibbles in order to cheat (a person) out of something, or to explain away

c: To make use of quibbles in order to wriggle out of something agreed, or to deal unfairly with a person.

Description

In literature, a quibble is a common plot device, used to fulfill the exact verbal conditions of an agreement in order to avoid the intended meaning. Its most common uses are in legal bargains and, in fantasy, magically enforced ones.

In one of the best known examples, William Shakespeare used a quibble in "The Merchant of Venice". Portia saves Antonio in a court of law by pointing out that the agreement called for a pound of flesh, but no blood, and therefore Shylock can collect only if he sheds no blood.[1]