faff about

Definitions

To waste time; to spend time idly.

UK, intransitive

Examples

“She faffed about so much, she never got to eat⟳ her breakfast.”

“I decided to stop⟳ faffing about and get⟳ some work⟳ done.”

“It's a shame; not only are nuts quite ridiculously nutritious but, as anyone who's ever shelled out (sorry) for a tiny glass of pistachios in a pub will know⟳, they're a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. But although I happen⟳ to have⟳ a soft spot for nut roast – an option often preferable to the meat that emerged from the school kitchen – it seems I'm in a cranky minority. A request⟳ for recipe recommendations was met with a polite silence on Twitter: vegetarianism, apparently, has moved on a bit. You don't see⟳ Yotam Ottolenghi faffing about with nut roasts, do you? But I'm determined to revive the fortunes of this much-maligned classic. After all, Christmas isn't Christmas without a luxury nut selection.”

CEFR level