English

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Etymology

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Reduplication of jaw.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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jaw-jaw (third-person singular simple present jaw-jaws, present participle jaw-jawing, simple past and past participle jaw-jawed)

  1. (slang) To talk at length; to chatter or jabber.
    • 1982, Economist, volume 285:
      The EEC and America jaw-jawed their way to the brink of an all-out war over limiting European steel exports to the United States.
    • 1986, David Sanders, Lawmaking and co-operation in international politics:
      ...in certain contexts extensive and prolonged jaw-jawing — in the form of treaty-making — can serve to inhibit the resort to war.
    • 1995, Lorraine Garkovich, Janet L Bokemeier, Barbara Foote, Harvest of hope: family farming/farming families:
      We might have five of us jaw-jawing. You don't have that any more. I hate to lose that; it was a great joy in my life.