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Comment by bigstrat2003 | Hacker News Reader

bigstrat2003·

The article didn't mention what is by far my favorite British lingo: "faffing about". It's just so damn useful! I know that there are other phrases which work, but for whatever reason none of them really hit for me like "faffing about" does.

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I feel like my role in the comments here is to add a Scottish flavour - what we'd say where I grew up (South Aberdeenshire) rather than "faffing about" is "footering about"

It's nice lingo, but is it commonly used in the US now? I've never heard it in the US except from Brits.

The sound of the word just seems to capture the action, or lack of action, so well.

I like using it to say something is a waste of time or too much trouble; it’s a faff…

A good example of 'faff' is when you join a queue, get to the teller and they tell you a) you needed to take a number and/or b) you're in the wrong line.

Oh, no. A faff is an activity, rather than a scenario. Going to the bank could be a faff, but your example is just a bloody nuisance...

Now, I’d say the really correct usage would be “a bit of a faff” but if you find saying that too much faff it’s all the same to me mate.

Anyway, I’m on the drag getting to the shops. I need to fix a picture thas on the huh. ;)

It’s too British sounding. It would sound corny coming from anyone else.

Someone who's actively engaging in faffing about: faffer.

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