jaw-jaw

English

Etymology

Reduplication of jaw.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Verb

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.