- Today's Word
Dillydally
[DIL-ee-dal-ee]
Definition
- (verb) To waste time through aimless wandering or indecision, to procrastinate, or to delay taking action. It often implies a lack of urgency or purpose, typically when someone should be doing something more productive.
Example
The project manager grew increasingly frustrated as her team continued to dillydally instead of meeting their deadlines, causing delays in the overall project timeline.
Fun Fact
The term “dillydally” is believed to have originated in the 16th century as a reduplication of the word “dally,” which means to waste time or loiter. Reduplication (repeating a word or part of a word) is a common way to create emphasis in many languages, and in this case, it reinforces the idea of prolonged or repeated delay.
(adjective) Found or appearing everywhere simultaneously; seeming to be present in all places at once.
Smartphones have become so ubiquitous that it’s now more unusual to spot someone without one than with one.
Ubiquitous derives from the Latin ubique, meaning “everywhere,” combined with the suffix -ous denoting a quality or characteristic. The Latin root breaks down further into ubi (“where”) and que (“and, also”) — essentially meaning “and wherever else.” The word entered English in the 19th century, initially used in theological discussions about God’s omnipresence before expanding into general use.