Synonyms for shilly-shally
| Grammar : Verb |
| Spell : shil-ee-shal-ee |
| Phonetic Transcription : ˈʃɪl iˌʃæl i |
Top 10 synonyms for shilly-shally Other synonyms for the word shilly-shally
Définition of shilly-shally
Origin :- "to vacillate," 1782, from adverbial expression to stand shilly-shally (1703), earlier shill I, shall I (1700), a fanciful reduplication of shall I? (cf. wishy-washy, dilly-dally, etc.). From 1734 as an adjective, by 1755 as a noun. Related: Shilly-shallying (1816).
- verb procrastinate
- There is no use in this shilly-shally way of yours, St. Clare!
- Extract from : « Uncle Tom's Cabin » by Harriet Beecher Stowe
- Shilly-shally, to trifle or fritter away time; to be irresolute.
- Extract from : « The Slang Dictionary » by John Camden Hotten
- Drapery it was, and quickly; for Mrs. Munsey was not wont to shilly-shally.
- Extract from : « Tales of Mean Streets » by Arthur Morrison
- Strange that people will have so much faith in shilly-shally!
- Extract from : « Charles Sumner; his complete works, volume 7 (of 20) » by Charles Sumner
- "I have little experience of shilly-shally methods," replied his visitor.
- Extract from : « The Open Question » by Elizabeth Robins
- Which, by the way, amounts to an admission that he does shilly-shally sometimes.
- Extract from : « The Humour of Homer and Other Essays » by Samuel Butler
- He mustn't palter, or trifle, or shilly-shally about that iron certainty.
- Extract from : « The Devil's Garden » by W. B. Maxwell
- They shilly-shally, they pick and choose, they discuss, they criticise.
- Extract from : « Post-Prandial Philosophy » by Grant Allen
- But Chance—avenger of all shilly-shally—settled the matter offhand.
- Extract from : « Henry Brocken » by Walter J. de la Mare
- Your Uncle William used to make fun of me and sing 'Shilly-shally with the wee girls, ha, ha, ha!'
- Extract from : « The Foolish Lovers » by St. John G. Ervine
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Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019