pettifog

To play the pettifogger; do small business as a lawyer.

A confusing fog or mist: in allusion to pettifog, v.

To advocate like a pettifogger; to argue trickily.

To do a petty business as a lawyer; also, to do law business in a petty or tricky way.

To quibble over trivial matters; nitpick

argue over petty things