Faddle
/ˈfæd.əl/noun
To spend time on trivial or foolish matters; to dally or trifle.
Did you know?The word is real, but its exact origin is obscure; English has long used it to mean trifling or fooling around, which is why it feels like a tiny spell against seriousness.
Etymological Timeline
Early Modern English
English
faddle
“To trifle, dally, or act foolishly.”
16th–17th Century
English
faddle
“A foolish or trifling matter; a piece of nonsense.”
Unknown
English
faddle
“Probably an expressive or imitative formation, with no securely established deeper ancestry.”
Modern English
English
faddle
“To spend time on trivialities; to dither or fuss.”