dally

WOTD – 3 October 2008    

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈdælɪ/
• (US) IPA: /ˈdæli/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æli

Etymology 1

From Middle English dalyen, from Anglo-Norman delaier

Verb

dally (third-person singular simple present dallies, present participle dallying, simple past and past participle dallied)

1. To waste time in voluptuous pleasures, or in idleness; to trifle.
2. To interchange caresses, especially of a sexual nature; to use fondling; to wanton; to sport (compare dalliance)
3. To delay unnecessarily; to while away.
4. To wind the lasso rope around the saddle pummel after the roping of an animal
   • 2003, Jameson Parker, An Accidental Cowboy, page 89:

     The end of the top rope he dallied around the gooseneck trailer hitch.

Synonyms

• dilly-dally

Translations

to waste time

• Bulgarian: губя си времето, играя си
• Maori: whakarunaruna (mi)
• Russian: тратить время впустую (trátitʹ vrémja vpustúju) impf., бездельничать (ru) (bezdélʹničatʹ)  impf., прохлаждаться (ru) (proxlaždátʹsja)  impf., развлекаться (ru) (razvlekátʹsja)  impf.

to interchange caresses

• Bulgarian: флиртувам (bg) (flirtuvam)
• Russian: флиртовать (ru) (flirtovátʹ)  impf., кокетничать (ru) (kokétničatʹ)  impf.

to delay unnecessarily

• Bulgarian: отлагам
• Russian: откладывать (ru) (otkládyvatʹ)  impf., отложить (ru) (otložítʹ)  pf., (impf) задерживать (ru) (zadérživatʹ)  (pf) задержать (ru) (zaderžátʹ) 

Etymology 2

Possibly from Spanish "da le la vuelta !" ("twist it around !") by law of Hobson-Jobson.

Noun

dally (plural dallies)

1. Several wraps of rope around the saddle horn, used to stop animals in roping.
   • 1947 - Bruce Kiskaddon, Rhymes and Ranches

     What matters is now if he tied hard and fast, / Or tumbled his steer with a dally.