It doesn’t mean idle chat, except to drunken cowboys. Palaver is an Americanism probably derived by non-Spanish speakers from “palabra(s)” (Spanish, meaning “word”; not to be confused with the actual Spanish word “palaver” [fuss, bother, ado]). Noun (“have a palaver”) and intransitive verb (to palaver with). It probably origininated in the southwestern U.S. states, but possibly further east, probably in the late 18th century or later in the 19th century. Think gauchos, cabelleros, cowboys, trappers, native Americans, the Old West, and so forth. It usually means to have a face-to-face discussion, usually of a serious sort, such as a negotiation or inquiry for necessary information. Example: We made our way out of the dry gulch and came upon a young brave sitting on a rock. Not knowing how far it was to Dodge City, and wondering if he had some spare time to show us the way, Jethro approached him to palaver for a little while .”
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It basically means idle chit chat, or twaddle, or talk that is intended to convince someone of something.
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LikeDislikeIt doesn’t mean idle chat, except to drunken cowboys. Palaver is an Americanism probably derived by non-Spanish speakers from “palabra(s)” (Spanish, meaning “word”; not to be confused with the actual Spanish word “palaver” [fuss, bother, ado]). Noun (“have a palaver”) and intransitive verb (to palaver with). It probably origininated in the southwestern U.S. states, but possibly further east, probably in the late 18th century or later in the 19th century. Think gauchos, cabelleros, cowboys, trappers, native Americans, the Old West, and so forth. It usually means to have a face-to-face discussion, usually of a serious sort, such as a negotiation or inquiry for necessary information. Example: We made our way out of the dry gulch and came upon a young brave sitting on a rock. Not knowing how far it was to Dodge City, and wondering if he had some spare time to show us the way, Jethro approached him to palaver for a little while .”
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