paltering?

"let us beware how we palter with our independence," advised henry cabot lodge during an address to the us senate in 1919.

and everyone was transfixed because, alas, no one knew what it meant to palter so they did not know if they agreed or disagreed with the well spoken gentleman.

if only they had had google, then they would known palter means "beat around the bush" & and so they could have cheered him with a hearty "here, here" but instead they sat and tried to look deep in thought or like they had an alarming message on their iPhone that took precedence over the trivial matters being discussed.

though they did not.

and though everyone knew they did not.