palaver Definition

palaver
noun

1. A long, boring, complicated and seemingly pointless exercise; an unnecessary fuss

Example: What a palaver!
2. Idle chatter.
3. historical
An act of conferring between European traders, settlers, etc and native inhabitants.

verb palavered, palavering

intr
1. To chatter idly.
2. To flatter; to cajole.

Etymology: 18c: from Portuguese palavra, from Latin parabola parable, later meaning ‘a word' or ‘speech'.