lollygag

verb

lol·​ly·​gag ˈlä-lē-ˌgag 

variants or less commonly lallygag

lollygagged also lallygagged; lollygagging also lallygagging; lollygags also lallygags

intransitive verb

informal

: to fool around and waste time : dawdle

Stop lollygagging and get to work.

We were slow because the girl was lollygagging, the photographer was photographing, and I was on crutches.

—James Robison

The first author he'd chosen was lollygagging on his manuscript, so it was my chance.

—Neal Pollack

… rally the team of lallygagging lawmakers …

—The Hightower Lowdown

Did you know?

Lollygag (sometimes spelled lallygag) has been used informally to talk about acts of wasting time since at least the mid-19th century. Some might relate to this 1856 quote from The North Californian: “Oh ye denizens of cooler climes, how we do envy you in these days. Oh, for a lodge on some vast iceberg, or a chance to lallygag amid piles of snow!” In its earlier days, lollygag could also apply to displays of affection; back in 1946, one Navy captain considered lollygagging enough of a problem to issue this stern warning: “Lovemaking and lollygagging are hereby strictly forbidden.... The holding of hands ... is a violation of naval discipline....” Nowadays, lollygag doesn’t usually refer to flirting or cuddling—instead, it’s the “dawdle” meaning that gets the love.

Synonyms

• crawl
• creep
• dally
• dawdle
• delay
• diddle
• dillydally
• drag
• lag
• linger
• loiter
• mope
• poke
• shilly-shally
• tarry

Examples of lollygag in a Sentence

He was kicked off the team for lollygagging during practice.

Stop lollygagging around and get to work!

Recent Examples on the Web

For perspective, the Tesla S Plaid, the current poster child for electric vehicle acceleration, lollygags its way to 60 in 1.98 seconds, according to Motor Trend magazine tests. —Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

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