Lallygagged

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To spend time aimlessly or to engage in idle chatter without a purpose
2. To waste time in a leisurely manner, often with no particular activity in mind
3. To loiter or dawdle, typically while indulging in trivial conversation or distractions

Etymology: "Lallygagged" is the past tense of "lallygag," so its history is that of the base verb. The word first appeared in American English in the early twentieth century, and its origins are obscure. Dictionaries generally treat the origin as unknown, and the many guesses offered online, such as links to older dialect words or to "lally," a nonsense-style rhyme, remain unproven. What is clear is the word's sound and tone. "Lallygag" belongs to a family of playful, reduplicated slang words, built on rhythmic repetition, that Americans coined to describe frivolous or unhurried behaviour. Its meaning, dawdling or chatting without purpose, is conveyed by the sound itself, which seems to bounce along lazily.