whiffler

[ hwif-ler, wif- ]

/ ˈʰwɪf lər, ˈwɪf- /

a person who frequently shifts opinions, attitudes, interests, etc.

a person who is vacillating or evasive in an argument.

Origin of whiffler

First recorded in 1600–10; whiffle + -er¹

whiffler ²

[ hwif-ler, wif- ]

/ ˈʰwɪf lər, ˈwɪf- /

an attendant who clears the way for a procession.

1530–40; earlier wiffler armed attendant, equivalent to wiffle (variant of Middle English wifle, Old English wifel battle-ax) + -er¹

At length Mrs. Whiffler is heard to say, ‘Mr. Saunders, shall I give you some pudding?’

Sketches by Boz |Charles Dickens
Mr. Whiffler sighs, ‘these children, Saunders, make one quite an old man.’

Sketches by Boz |Charles Dickens
Superintendent Whiffler came over, by-and-by, to see his successor.

The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 09, No. 51, January, 1862 |Various
The ‘whiffler’ was the official sword-flourisher of the Corporation.

The Romany Rye |George Borrow

In any show he will be one, though he be but a whiffler or a torch-bearer, and bears down strangers with the story of his actions.

Character Writings of the 17th Century |Various

whiffler ¹

/ (ˈwɪflə) /

a person who whiffles

whiffler ²

/ (ˈwɪflə) /

archaic an attendant who cleared the way for a procession

C16: from wifle battle-axe, from Old English wifel, of Germanic origin; the attendants originally carried weapons to clear the way