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Which version of OED, WS? Some of us have outlived many updates.
– Edwin Ashworth
Commented Jan 31, 2020 at 12:27
1

@EdwinAshworth It is the current online edition, as of this morning. One thing puzzles me, which you may be able to help with. I have always used "palaver", and mostly heard it used as a mass noun. Some of the examples above have it as a count noun. Indeed the phrase "a load of palaver" sticks in my mind.
– WS2
Commented Jan 31, 2020 at 13:33
I've only ever come across "What a palaver!" / "There was a right palaver" etc. I think the CGEL definition of 'count usage' is easily the most useful; 'palaver' is non-count in both my examples, as you'd never hear "There were two / a few / ... palavers". Compare "I take a great pride in my achievements".
– Edwin Ashworth
Commented Jan 31, 2020 at 15:23
@EdwinAshworth I only seem to recall usages such as "all that confounded palaver", "a lot of palaver" etc.
– WS2
Commented Jan 31, 2020 at 18:58

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