faff

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to spend time in ineffectual activity; dithering or fuss

   Stop faffing about and pack the car.

Simplified etymology

Faff began in the late 18th century as a dialect word describing wind blowing in puffs or small gusts, probably in imitation of the sound. Its later sense “fuss or dither” may have been influenced by dialect faffle, which developed from “stammer” to “flap in the wind” and then to “fuss.”

A British colloquialism of imitative origin, attested from the 19th century; possibly related to dialectal faffle ('to flap, stammer, fumble'), evoking ineffectual fussing.

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