dilly-dally

British  

/ ˌdɪlɪˈdælɪ /

verb

1. informal (intr) to loiter or vacillate

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Etymology

Origin of dilly-dally

C17: by reduplication from _dally

Example Sentences

“Musn’t dilly-dally, miss. Remember, ‘A trip worth taking is a trip worth beginning,’” which made Penelope startle again, for she was quite certain that Agatha Swanburne had once said the very same thing.

From Literature

On weekends, I tend not to dilly-dally in the kitchen.

From Los Angeles Times

“The housing situation is so desperate we don’t want any dilly-dallying,” Myers said.

From Los Angeles Times

I think there must be people at Apple who want this, too, so I’m now respectfully requesting that the company stop dilly-dallying and make it happen.

From The Verge

It provided no timeframe for the exits but Fraser, who grew up in Scotland, told analysts there would be "no dilly-dallying" on executing the changes.

From Reuters