palaver
Preserved but no longer current.
To ask, or talk—deceitfully or otherwise, as occasion requires; "PALAVER to his nibs for a shant of bivvy," ask the master for a pot of beer. NANTEE PALAVER (pronounced PERLARVER), cease talking. In this sense used by tramps. Derived from the Portuguese.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
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 “palaver” mean?
To ask, or talk—deceitfully or otherwise, as occasion requires; "PALAVER to his nibs for a shant of bivvy," ask the master for a pot of beer. NANTEE PALAVER (pronounced PERLARVER), cease talking. In this sense used by tramps. Derived from the Portuguese.
Is “palaver” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.