▪ I. shilly-shally, advb. phr., a., n.
(ˈʃɪlɪˌʃælɪ)
[At first written shill I, shall I, altered form of shall I, shall I: see shall v. B. 7 a (d). For the vowel-alteration cf. dilly-dally, wishy-washy.]
A. advb. phr. to stand shill I, shall I: to vacillate, to be irresolute or undecided. Also to go shill-I shall-I, to stand at shilly-shally.
| 1700 Congreve Way of World iii. xv. 47, I don't stand shill I, shall I, then; if I say't, I'll do't. 1703 Steele Tender Husb. iii. (1705) 34 I'm for marrying her at once— Why should I stand shilly-shally, like a Country Bumpkin? 1709 W. King Eagle & Robin 92 Bob did not shill-I shall-I go, Nor said one word of friend or foe; But flirting at him made a blow. 1823 De Quincey Fatal Marksman Wks. 1859 XII. 199, I see no good that comes of standing shilly-shally. 1847 Lytton Lucretia ii. ii, Don't stand there shilly-shally. 1873 Browning Red Cotton Night-Cap Country 232 The simpleton who stands..At shilly-shally, may he knock or no At his own door. |
B. adj. Vacillating, irresolute, undecided.
| 1734 Chesterfield in Lett. C'tess Suffolk (1824) II. 95 We were mighty prudent and shilly shally whether to stay or go. 1743 Mrs. Delany Autobiog. & Corr. (1861) II. 208, I am shilly-shally about it in my own mind. 1792 Jefferson Writ. (1830) IV. 470, I had heard him say that this constitution was a shilly-shally thing, of mere milk and water, which would not last. 1869 Trollope He Knew lxv. (1878) 363 I'm not going to be stopped by any shilly-shally nonsense. 1886 Goschen in A. D. Elliot Life (1911) II. 9 If Gladstone is very shilly shally about the Legislative Union. |
C. n.
1. Vacillation, irresolution.
| 1755 J. Shebbeare Lydia (1769) I. 355 Mr. Muckworm..conceived marriages should be driven like bargains without shilly shally. 1847 De Quincey Sp. Mil. Nun v. Wks. 1854 III. 10 She lost not one of her forty-five minutes in picking and choosing. No shilly-shally in Kate. 1876 Geo. Eliot Dan. Der. iii. xxv. 212 What I wished to point out to you was, that there can be no shilly-shally now. |
2. A vacillating, irresolute person. rare.
| 1834 Landor Exam. Shakesp. Wks. 1853 II. 271/1 Among the girls in the country there are many such shilly-shallys, who give themselves sore eyes and sharp eye-water. 1883 Saintsbury Dryden's Wks. VI. 401 The queen [in The Spanish Friar] being both bloodthirsty and inconsequent, and Torrismond a vacillating shilly-shally. |
▪ II. ˈshilly-ˌshally, v.
[f. prec. adv. phr.]
1. intr. To vacillate, be irresolute or undecided.
| 1782 F. Burney Cecilia ix. iii, So I suppose he'll shilly-shally till somebody else will cry snap, and take her. 1842 Thackeray Miss Tickletoby's Lect. ix, This Bruce had been for a long time shilly-shallying as to the side he should take. 1879 Farrar St. Paul I. 441 To shilly-shally on the matter, to act in one way today and in a different way tomorrow. |
2. trans. To show indecision in one's dealings with. ? nonce-use.
| 1864 Bp. Wilberforce in R. G. Wilberforce Life (1882) III. 152 If you go mystifying and shillyshallying them [sc. nonconformists]. |
¶ Occas. analysed into two verbs, ‘shilly’ and ‘shally’: see quots.
| 1836 T. Hook G. Gurney II. 203 It would be all idleness to go on shillying-shallying with her. 1891 Daily News 3 June 2/2 Sir William made the statement..that L. had shillied and shallied, and had then said ‘I saw something’. |
Hence ˈshilly-ˌshallying vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1842 Thackeray Fitz-Boodle's Prof. i, There shall be no shilly-shallying work here. 1843 ― Bluebeard's Ghost in Fraser's Mag. Oct. 424/2 Make up your mind what you will ask him, for ghosts will stand no shilly-shallying. 1883 Howells Woman's Reason I. 120 If it hadn't been for my wretched shilly-shallying ways, I shouldn't have to write to him at all. |