lollygag

English
WOTD – 24 April 2006

Alternative forms

Etymology

Unknown. Cited as American slang from 1934[1] and attested since at least 1889.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈlɒlɪɡæɡ/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Verb

lollygag (third-person singular simple present lollygags, present participle lollygagging, simple past and past participle lollygagged)

  1. (US) To dawdle; to be lazy or idle; to avoid necessary work or effort.
    Synonyms: dawdle, shirk, slack, procrastinate; see also Thesaurus:shirk
    • 1993, Secret of Mana (fantasy):
      Stop lollygagging! […] He ate ALL the ship's food! 'Zat your friend? Show him outta here!
  2. (US, dated, 19th-20th centuries) To fool around, especially sexually.
    • 1946, Captain C. F. Behrens, MC, USN, quoted in Time Magazine, volume 47, part 1, page 74, 1946:
      Lovemaking and lollygagging are hereby strictly forbidden. […] The holding of hands, osculation and constant embracing of WAVES, corpsmen or civilians and sailors or any combination of male and female personnel is a violation of naval discipline. […]

Translations

Noun

lollygag (uncountable)

  1. (US) Silliness, nonsense.
    He likes to do his car up with blacked-out windows, and all that lollygag.

Translations

References
  1. Dictionary of American Slang
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