Higgling

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To partake in minor disputes or exchanges, often humorously, over the pricing or trading of goods
2. Taking part in informal negotiations to agree on a transaction price
3. Involving oneself in brief debates or discussions aimed at settling the cost of an item

Etymology: "Higgling" is the present participle of "higgle," which is probably an alteration of "haggle." The likely mechanism is a shift of vowel and consonant in the familiar word, the sort of small variation that happens when a word is repeated in speech and picks up a slightly different sound. The sense of the two words is close: both describe bargaining over a price, with the back-and-forth of argument that goes with it. What distinguishes "higgle" is its tone. Where "haggle" tends to suggest a stubborn, sometimes grim struggle over money, "higgle" carries a lighter, more good-natured feel, the kind of quibbling that goes on at a market stall or between neighbours trading produce. That shift in flavour is part of why the form has persisted in dialect and in writing that wants a touch of homely humour.

Synonyms: bargaining, haggling