The Collaborative International Dictionary
Shilly-shally \Shil"ly-shal`ly\, v. i. To hesitate; to act in an irresolute manner; hence, to occupy one's self with trifles.
Shilly-shally \Shil"ly-shal`ly\, n. Irresolution; hesitation; also, occupation with trifles.
She lost not one of her forty-five minutes in picking
and choosing, -- no shilly-shally in Kate.
--De
Quincey.
Shill-I-shall-I \Shill"-I-shall`-I\, Shilly-shally \Shil"ly-shal`ly\, adv. [A reduplication of shall I.] In an irresolute, undecided, or hesitating manner.
I am somewhat dainty in making a resolution, because
when I make it, I keep it; I don't stand
shill-I-shall-I then; if I say 't, I'll do 't.
--Congreve.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"to vacillate," 1782, from adverbial expression to stand shilly-shally (1703), earlier shill I, shall I (1700), a fanciful reduplication of shall I? (compare wishy-washy, dilly-dally, etc.). From 1734 as an adjective, by 1755 as a noun. Related: Shilly-shallying (1816).
Wiktionary
indecisive; wavering v
1 To procrastinate. 2 To vacillate.
Usage examples of "shilly-shally".
The other nations may be fed up with our shilly-shallying and may not go along with us, particularly any who believe they are close to solving the problems of atomic weapons.
To be harried and bullied and exposed to awful danger--and then just cut adrift with hardly a thank-you-damn-your-eyes from a man who, but for me, would have been feeding the fishes--God, I found myself hating that shilly-shally Carl Gustaf, and that sour-faced old turd Sapten-- aye, and that mealy Grundvig, with his pious maundering.
Dashing from one to the other, pleading, exhorting, expounding Britain’s shame if the shilly-shallying Liberals held back now, was Henry Wilson, the heart, soul, spirit, backbone, and legs of the Anglo-French military “conversations.
Colin Mackenzie, who was through it all, said it was pathetic to see how old Elphy shilly-shallied and changed his mind, and McNaghten still refused to believe that disaster was approaching.
I dilly-dallied and I dithered and shilly-shallied and all those words.
At least you're not one of those presidents we had back up-time who shilly-shallied and danced around every time the shit hit the fan.
After shilly-shallying for a while she made her choice, but I knew she wasn't shilly-shallying.
Indeed, I should not like to have the name of a take-it-and-drop it, shilly-shallying, missish "son of a bitch" at the Navy Board,' he said with a smile.
Indeed, I should not like to have the name of a take-it-and-drop it, shilly-shallying, missish “son of a bitch” at the Navy Board,’ he said with a smile.
I must say I'm awfully afraid that if we go on shilly-shallying like this we'll just naturally lose the Allen sale.
Such shilly-shallying in an obvious case outraged my father's principles, and he personally attended to the demise of the Dakers' cat while the matter was still sub judice.