/ ˈpɜːsɪflɑːʒ; NAmE ˈpɜːrs-/ noun
[ U ] ( formal ) comments and jokes in which people laugh at each other in a fairly unkind but not serious way
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 18th cent.: from French persifler to banter, based on siffler to whistle.
/ ˈpɜːsɪflɑːʒ; NAmE ˈpɜːrs-/ noun
[ U ] ( formal ) comments and jokes in which people laugh at each other in a fairly unkind but not serious way
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 18th cent.: from French persifler to banter, based on siffler to whistle.
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005