Word of the Day

: August 29, 2021

lollygag

verb LAH-lee-gag

What It Means

Lollygag means "to spend time doing things that are not useful or serious"—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.

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lollygag in Context

"During Saturday's game, Sanchez lollygagged when a pitch in the dirt bounced a few feet to his right with Phillies speedy second baseman Jean Segura on first. Looking like he didn't have a care in the world, Sanchez leaned down slowly and tried to retrieve the ball with his mitt instead of his throwing hand…." — Randy Miller, The Jersey Journal (New Jersey), 15 June 2021

Did You Know?

Since the 19th century, lollygag (sometimes also spelled lallygag) has been used as a slang word to describe acts of wasting time as well as displays of affection. Nowadays, lollygag doesn't usually refer to flirting or cuddling, but 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, osculation and constant embracing of WAVES [Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service], corpsmen or civilians and sailors or any combination of male and female personnel is a violation of naval discipline...."