(n.) The practice or arts of a pettifogger; disreputable tricks; quibbles.

artifice bickering boggling captiousness caviling chicane chicanery collusion connivance connivery conspiracy covin dodgery dodging equivocation evasion fencing foul play hairsplitting hedging logic-chopping machination nit-picking paltering parrying pettifogging prevarication pussyfooting quibbling sharp practice shifting shuffling sidestepping skulduggery sleight subterfuge supercherie tergiversation trichoschistism trickery underhand dealing