stand shilly-shally
To hesitate, vacillate or procrastinate.
shilly-shally
/ˈʃɪliˌʃæli/
verb 2adj 1noun 1
Collocations
4ADJ.
fellow, longer
VERB + SHILLY-SHALLY
can't, think
PREP.
after
ADV.
ever
Definitions
verb
1
To procrastinate.
"Why, you sees [sic], Captain, your time has come, and you can't shilly-shally any longer. You have had your full swing; your years are up, and you must die like a man!"
1866, Charles Reade, Griffith Gaunt, in The Argosy: Volume 2 - Page 16, published by Strahan and Co. "She would have come a few months ago, and gladly: I'll write to her." "Better talk to her, and persuade her." "I'll do that too, but I must write to her first". "So do then; but whatever you do, don't shilly-shally no longer."
2
To vacillate.
The shilly-shallying performance on domestic issues that has marked Bush's first two years in office is not the result of ineptitude.
Then Germany lost its halo. It shilly-shallied over Ukraine.
adj
1
Indecisive; wavering.
Irwine would think him a shilly-shally fellow ever after.
noun
1
Indecision; irresolution.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
401
"Why, you sees [sic], Captain, your time has come, and you can't shilly-shally any longer. You have had your full swing; your years are up, and you must die like a man!"
Wiktionary02
1866, Charles Reade, Griffith Gaunt, in The Argosy: Volume 2 - Page 16, published by Strahan and Co. "She would have come a few months ago, and gladly: I'll write to her." "Better talk to her, and per
Wiktionary03
However the resolutions seem merely calculated to waste time, as they involve a whole preliminary discussion before the really important matters can be settled. If the Liberal party were sincere, ther
Wiktionary04
Irwine would think him a shilly-shally fellow ever after.
WiktionaryUsage Notes
i Register
In some senses, shilly-shally is marked as informal. Watch for register when choosing this word.
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