Quillet
/ˈkwɪlɪt/noun
A subtle quibble or petty argument, especially one used to evade the point.
Did you know?In Elizabethan English, a quillet could feel like verbal sorcery: a slippery, evasive objection meant to confuse, delay, and redirect the conversation.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
quillet
“A subtle evasion, quibble, or petty legal objection”
Late Middle English
English
quilette / quillet
“A small trick, subtlety, or quibble”
Old French
Old French
quille / quillette
“A small stick or peg; later a term associated with a trick or subtle device in some sources”
Germanic / Romance influence
Mixed
uncertain
“The word’s deeper origin is uncertain; it is traditionally treated as a diminutive or playful formation rather than a securely traced inherited term”
Explore more surprising origins