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Jan 2, 2009 This week's theme Uncommon adverbs This week's words seriatim pell-mell withal imprimis shilly-shally Today's word in Visual Thesaurus Next week's theme Miscellaneous words Discuss Feedback RSS/XML A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg shilly-shally PRONUNCIATION: (SHIL-ee-shal-ee) MEANING: adverb: Hesitantly; irresolutely. adjective: Hesitant; vacillating. noun: Hesitation; vacillation. verb intr.: To vacillate; to dawdle. ETYMOLOGY: From reduplication of the question Shall I? USAGE: "We go after bigger things, and don't stand shilly-shally on the brink as you do." Anthony Trollope; The Way We Live Now; 1875. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it -- and stop there -- lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove-lid. She will never sit down on a hot stove-lid again, and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one any more. -Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910)

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