shilly-shally
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
shilly-shally
- /ˈʃɪliˌʃæli/
Rhymes with -æli
Where it comes from
A reduplication of shall I? An older form was Shill-I-shall-I.
verb shilly-shallies · shilly-shallying · shilly-shallied · shilly and shally
- 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!"
- 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.
adjective more shilly-shally · most shilly-shally
- Indecisive; wavering. Irwine would think him a shilly-shally fellow ever after.
noun
- Indecision; irresolution.
