English

Noun

argle-bargle ‎(uncountable)

1. (slang) A verbal argument.
   • 2013, Antonin Scalia, United States v. Windsor, p. 22:

     As I have said, the real rationale of today’s opinion, whatever disappearing trail of its legalistic argle-bargle one chooses to follow, is that DOMA is motivated by '"bare . . . desire to harm"' couples in same-sex marriages.

Verb

argle-bargle ‎(third-person singular simple present argle-bargles, present participle argle-bargling, simple past and past participle argle-bargled)

1. (slang) To argue.
   • 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, chapter 11

     Last night ye haggled and argle-bargled like an apple-wife; and then passed me your word, and gave me your hand to back it; and ye ken very well what was the upshot.

Derived terms

• argle-bargle morble whoosh

Related terms

• argie-bargie
• argy-bargy
• argol-bargol

References

1. 1 2 John Jamieson, Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Tongue. p. 82
2. ↑ “Scalia's argle-bargle”, Ben Zimmer, Language Log, June 27, 2013
3. 1 2 Words in the Courtroom, from Mobspeak to "Argle-Bargle", Ben Zimmer, Word Routes, June 27, 2013
4. ↑ Word Detective, Issue of January 5, 2006, “Put up your duke's.”, Evan Morris.
5. ↑ “But ’tis a Daffin to debate, / And aurgle-bargain with our Fate.” —Allan Ramsay, Poems, “The Rise and Fall of Stocks, 1720. An Epistle to the Right Honorable my Lord Ramsay.”, p. 270