different between dawdle vs lallygag

English

Etymology

First attested around 1656; variant of daddle (“to walk unsteadily”), perhaps influenced by daw, since the bird was regarded as sluggish and silly. Not in general use until around 1775. Compare also German daddeln (“to play”), German verdaddeln (“to waste (time), neglect, ruin”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?d??d?l/
• Rhymes: -??d?l
• Homophone: doddle (in accents with the cot-caught merger)

Verb

dawdle (third-person singular simple present dawdles, present participle dawdling, simple past and past participle dawdled)

1. (intransitive) To spend time idly and unfruitfully; to waste time.
2. (transitive) To spend (time) without haste or purpose.

3. (intransitive) To move or walk lackadaisically.

Translations

See also

• dally, dander, dandle, diddle, loaf, piddle, wander, doodle

Noun

dawdle (plural dawdles)

1. A dawdler.
   • 1766, George Colman the Elder and David Garrick, The Clandestine Marriage, Act I, page 13

     Where is this dawdle of a housekeeper?

2. A slow walk, journey.
3. An easily accomplished task; a doddle.

Anagrams

• Dewald, Waddle, dwaled, waddle, walded

English

Alternative forms

• lollygag

Noun

lallygag (countable and uncountable, plural lallygags)

1. Horseplay, fooling around.
2. A layabout, one who lallygags.

   Synonyms: lollygagger; see also Thesaurus:idler

Verb

lallygag (third-person singular simple present lallygags, present participle lallygagging, simple past and past participle lallygagged)

1. (See lollygag.) To dawdle; to be lazy or idle; to avoid necessary work or effort.
2. (archaic, US) To pet, kiss, or otherwise demonstrate overt affection, generally in public.

Quotations

• For more quotations using this term, see Citations:lallygag.