Dilly-Dally, as defined by the AHD, means "to waste time, especially in indecision; dawdle or vascillate". This word (also according to the AHD) came from reduplication of dally. Looking up the word dally, we find that it means "1. To play amorously; flirt. 2. To trifle; toy. 3. To waste time; dawdle" (AHD) and comes from Old French dalier, which means "to converse, chat, to pass one's time in light social converse, etc." (OED).
So, presumably, dilly-dally came from dally, using repetition of the word for emphasis and emphasized the the definition of "wasting time". Since "dally-dally" would have seemed silly to say, the word went through dissimilation to become dilly-dally.
I enjoy this word quite a bit, simply because I have a tendency to dilly-dally (and dawdle).
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Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly,
ReplyDeleteLavender's green.
When I am king, dilly, dilly,
You shall be queen.
--If I had posted that comment for no reason, it would have been REALLY creepy.