Sunday Word: Lollygagging

[sallymn]

lollygagging [lol-ee-gag-ging]

present participle of verb:
1 spending time idly; fooling around and wasting time

Examples:

I can’t just be out there and just lollygagging around. I’ve got to be focused. (Percy Allen, Victoria Vivians might be missing piece in Storm’s championship pursuit, The Seattle Times, May 2024)

On Monday evening, a Times reporter spotted the otter lollygagging along the coast between the lighthouse and the nearby surfer statue. (Susanne Rust, A renegade sea otter is terrorizing California surfers: 'It’s a little scary’, The Los Angeles Times, July 2023)

An illustrative moment - Mitch Marner passing the puck out of his own end to a Florida player in the neutral zone, then lollygagging back to guard the weak side of his own net. Panther Jesper Boqvist was not lollygagging. (Cathal Kelly, Maple Leafs can win this series, but the problem is nobody actually believes it, The Globe and Mail, May 2025)

Virginia drivers caught lollygagging in the left lane are paying a high price for that slow ride. Thousands of drivers have been fined since July, when Virginia began issuing $100 tickets for driving too slow in the left lane or committing similar violations such as failing to stay in the right lane except when passing. (John Bacon, Driving too slow on Virginia highways can cost you $100, USA Today, April 2018)

So the great physicist, the hope of the civilized world, ultimate founder of the galactic empire, is found lollygagging with a broad. (George O Smith, The World-Mover)

(click to enlarge)
Origin:
from lollygag, 'dawdle, dally,' 1862, lallygag, American English, perhaps from dialectal lolly 'tongue' + gag 'deceive, trick'. (Online Etymology Dictionary)

Comments

[full_metal_ox]

I grew up becoming wearily familiar with this word.

[sallymn]

Ooops....

[prettygoodword]

I too hate that.

[sallymn]

Double oops.