looking for a word

A few years ago I came across an unfamiliar word in an article written by a very adroit writer who has more or less mastered the English language and doesn't worry about sounding like a smug snob. When I looked it up the definition was:
To hem and haw.

I'd like to use it in a story (where someone is bombastic). Alas, I have forgotten that obscure word. I'm pretty sure that it begins with H, but then so do thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of other words.

So I thought I'd ask here - does anyone know the word I'm talking about? If so could they please let me know.

Goodgulf

Could it be equivocate?

Hemming and hawing sounds much more fun ...

Hesitate is even more boring, pedestrian and unlikely!

Procrastinate perhaps or hang fire.

Haver?

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haver

Haver! That's it!

Thanks!

And thanks to the others as well. Those suggestions captured the tone of the word, but when it comes to sounding pompous haver is in a class by itself.

Goodgulf

Mati - I hereby resign my moniker and beg you to assume it as yours, or at least rename yourself TheEnglishMistress.
From Germany, we are taught!
Bravo!

TheEnglishMaster
Keep your crown. As my English is so poor, I just had to learn, how to use dictionaries.

In your defense, I did search through various dictionaries without finding that word. Including the dictionary where I had looked it up the first time.

It's truly an obscure word - and some characters cry out for words like that.

Try vascillate