dilly-dally

• dilly dally, dillydally

Reduplication of dally.

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɪliˌdæli/

dilly-dally (third-person singular simple present dilly-dallies, present participle dilly-dallying, simple past and past participle dilly-dallied)

1. (intransitive) To dawdle; to waste time; to procrastinate.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:loiter, Thesaurus:procrastinate

   • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:

     It is something to have been an old soldier, but more still to have been a doctor. There is no time to dilly-dally in our work.

   • 1899, Booth Tarkington, The Gentleman from Indiana, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday & McClure Co., published 1900, →OCLC:

     “I wouldn't dilly-dally long if I were you,” said Harkless, and his advice seemed good to the shell-men.

   • 1905 April, Jack London, “(please specify the page)”, in War of the Classes, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     It likewise manifests the frankness of men who do not dilly-dally with terms, but who say what they mean, and who mean to settle down to a long, hard fight.

   • 2022 March 20, Jason Bailey, “‘Basic Instinct’ at 30: A Time Capsule That Can Still Offend”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     No one can accuse the filmmakers of dillydallying; no sooner have the opening credits ended than we’re watching, via a mirrored ceiling, a couple writhing naked in coital ecstasy.