To trifle, dawdle, or waste time on unimportant things; to be indecisive or ineffectual.
From Middle Low German 'daffelen' or related German 'daffeln', ultimately of unknown origin. The word suggests ineffectual, repetitive action without clear purpose.
This word traveled from Germanic languages into English dialects, where it described the exact behavior of someone fussing over details without making progress—perfectly useful for procrastinators and perfectionist time-wasters.
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