Word of the Day

: August 28, 2024

lollygag

verb LAH-lee-gag

What It Means

To lollygag is to spend time doing things that are not useful or serious, or in other words, to fool around and waste time.

// Stop lollygagging and get to work!

// The player was kicked off the team for lollygagging during practice.

See the entry >

lollygag in Context

“Pete … dates all the way back to 1925 in the Disney ‘Alice Comedies.’ He’s older than Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who first appeared in Disney’s 1927 ‘Trolley Troubles.’ And he’s older than Mickey Mouse himself, who made his debut in 1928’s ‘Steamboat Willie,’ along with none other than Pete. Back then, however, he was Captain Pete—and a decidedly bad boss to an admittedly shoddy employee more interested in whistling and lollygagging than swabbing the decks.” — Julie Tremaine, SFGate.com, 23 Mar. 2023

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.