argufy

English

Alternative forms

• argify

Etymology

From argue +‎ -fy.

Verb

argufy (third-person singular simple present argufies, present participle argufying, simple past and past participle argufied) (colloquial)

1. (intransitive) To argue without any aim; to dispute; to disagree.

   Synonym: wrangle

   • 1776, Samuel Jackson Pratt, chapter 72, in Liberal Opinions‎^[1], volume 4, London: G. Robinson and J. Bew, pages 42–43:

     Mrs. Sudberry […] began to argufy with us, touching our going off the premises, and upon my soul, talked over the thing in such a moving manner, every now and then stopping to sob, that if it had not been doing an injury to Mr. Skain here, I could have found in my heart to have left um.

   • 1900, Thornton Jenkins Hains, chapter 3, in Mr Trunnell, Boston: Lothrop Publishing Company, page 49:

     “But not in argufying over facts,” retorted Trunnell. “No, sink me, when I finds I’m argufying agin the world,—agin facts,—I tries to give in some and let the world get the best o’ the argument […] ”

   • 1952, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, A Fair World for All: The Meaning of the Declaration of Human Rights, New York: Whittlesey House, page 22:

     They discussed, you see, they didn’t argufy. What’s the difference? Well, when you start to argufy about something with other people, you don’t want to find out what the best idea is. You want to make them accept your idea.

2. (transitive) To dispute (a point, fact, etc.), to argue about (something).
   • 1804, Amelia Opie, chapter 17, in Adeline Mowbray, Boston: S.G. Goodrich, published 1827, page 140:

     “Why then you are his mistress, and a kept lady to all intents and purposes; so what signifies argufying the matter; […] ”

   • 1845, George W. M. Reynolds, chapter 25, in The Mysteries of London, volume 1, London: George Vickers, page 64:

     “Well, it’s of no use argufying the pint,” said the butler, after a moment’s pause. “Here is Mr. Monroe’s address: perhaps when you have seen him, you will arrive at new inclusions.”

   • 1903, Elbert Hubbard, Little Journeys to the Homes of Eminent Orators: Marat, East Aurora, NY: Roycrofters, page 6:

     He […] passed judgment upon the social order without stint, even occasionally to argufying economics with his master, the Baron, as he brushed his breech.

   • 2001, Jamie O’Neill, chapter 14, in At Swim, Two Boys, London: Scribner, page 394:

     ‘Aren’t we two very foolish old quilts,’ he said, ‘to be argufying the past? […] ’

3. (transitive, intransitive, archaic) To reason (something) out, to fully consider, think through.
   • 1698, Edward Ward, A Trip to Jamaica‎^[2], London, page 11:

     […] this Lubberly Whelp here says I talk like a Fool; and sure I have not used the Sea this Thirty Years, but I can Argufie any thing as proper as he can.

   • 1800, Thomas Morton, Speed the Plough‎^[3], London: T.N. Longman and O. Rees, act III, scene 3, page 57:

     I have argufied the topic, and it wou’dn’t be pratty […]

   • 1860, Edward S. Ellis, chapter 18, in Seth Jones, London: George Routledge, page 103:

     I then proceeded to argufy the question; and, after considerable discussion, both in the affirmative and negative, I came unanimously to the conclusion […]

   • 1887, George Manville Fenn, chapter 1, in The Bag of Diamonds, New York: John W. Lovell, page 10:

     “ […] Now, stop a moment. Let’s argufy. Couldn’t be burglary. Yes, it could—body burglary!”

4. (transitive, archaic) To persuade (someone) through argument.
   • 1898, Francis Bartow Lloyd, Sketches of Country Life, Birmingham, AL: Press of Roberts & Son, page 14:

     She was thinkin I might find things turned around and changed about so till I wouldn’t hardly know the country, but still she wouldn’t argufy me out of makin the trip.

5. (transitive, archaic) To weary (someone) with arguing.
   • 1895, Mary Noailles Murfree (as Charles Egbert Craddock), “The Mystery of Witch-Face Mountain” in The Mystery of Witch-Face Mountain and Other Stories, Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, p. 154,^[4]

     “Lord, how glad I’ll be to git rid o’ him!” Peters said in an undertone to Hite. “He hev mighty nigh argufied me ter death,—’bout sperits, an’ witches, an’ salvation, an’ law, an’ craps, an’ horse-flesh, an’ weather signs. […] ”

6. (transitive, archaic) To be evidence of (something).
   • 1780, [Sophia] Lee, The Chapter of Accidents: A Comedy, […], London: […] T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, Act III, scene [iii], page 53:

     [S]he no ſooner ſet eyes on him than ſhe ſent me out; vvhich argufy’d no good, you'll ſay; […]

7. (intransitive, archaic) To be of importance or relevance; to make a difference, to be of use.
   • a. 1778, William Shenstone, “To a Friend”, in The Poetical Works‎^[5], volume 1, Edinburgh: The Apollo Press, published 1778, page 166:

     Well, now who wins?—why, still the same— / For Sal has lost another game. / “I’ve done, (she mutter’d;) I was saying, / “It did not argufy my playing. / “Some folks will win, they cannot chuse, / “But think or not think—some must lose.

   • 1790, Helen Maria Williams, chapter 24, in Julia‎^[6], volume 2, London: T. Cadell, page 75:

     “ […] Moreover, Ma’am,” says I, “what does it argufy,” says I, “taking on so now, when the deed’s done;[”] but, poor soul! she only cried the more for that.

   • 1852, Robert Smith Surtees, chapter 3, in Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour, London: Bradbury Agnew, page 15:

     ‘ […] not that [the horse is] wicious—far from it, only play—full of play, I may say, though to be sure, if a man gets spilt it don’t argufy much whether it’s done from play or from wice.’