nantee palaver
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
No conversation, i.e., hold your tongue. Very often in this sense also shortened to NANTEE only. Originally Lingua Franca, but now general.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “nantee palaver” mean?
No conversation, i.e., hold your tongue. Very often in this sense also shortened to NANTEE only. Originally Lingua Franca, but now general.
Is “nantee palaver” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.