faff
Busy doing nothing
Faff is British slang for wasting time on trivial or unproductive activity, often with an air of fussiness or indecision: Stop faffing about and get ready.
To faff around or faff about is to putter ineffectually when you should be doing something else.
A faff is also a bothersome task: Parking in the city center is such a faff.
Maker of clay vessels
- putterClub for short strokes
- ditherNervous inability to choose
- fiddleAdjust restlessly; folk violin
- tinkerMender of metal household wares
bumble · fuss · mess about · muck about · piddle · footle · futz · twiddle
Of no real importance
- frivolityUnserious, lighthearted conduct
- piddlingInsignificantly small
- footlingSilly and unimportant
- pettinessFocus on insignificant matters
nonsense · minutiae · fiddling · nitpicking · hair-splitting · busywork · makework · time-wasting
Noisy fuss or disturbance
- palaverProlonged fuss or chatter
- adoUnnecessary fuss
- to-doCommotion or fuss
- rigmaroleTedious, overcomplicated procedure
hassle · bother · flap · commotion · fussing · fluster · tizzy · pother
Rigid administrative system
- red tapeBureaucratic obstacles to action
- rigmaroleTedious, overcomplicated procedure
- runaroundEvasive, delaying response
- paperworkAdministrative written tasks
hoops · busywork · muddle · disorganization · bungling · incompetence · delay · obstruction
potter
Maker of clay vessels
tinker · bumble · fuss · mess about · muck about · piddle · footle · futz · twiddle · mooch
trifling
Of no real importance
pettiness · nonsense · minutiae · fiddling · nitpicking · hair-splitting · busywork · makework · time-wasting · pointlessness
kerfuffle
Noisy fuss or disturbance
rigmarole · hassle · bother · flap · commotion · fussing · fluster · tizzy · pother · carry-on
bureaucracy
Rigid administrative system
- red tapeBureaucratic obstacles to action
- rigmaroleTedious, overcomplicated procedure
- runaroundEvasive, delaying response
paperwork · hoops · busywork · muddle · disorganization · bungling · incompetence · delay · obstruction · hindrance
fafffocus
Concentrated attention point
get on with it · buckle down · crack on · knuckle down · apply oneself
faffcommit
Bind to a course
decide · take the plunge · cut to the chase · take action · get going
- faffing aroundAimless, unproductive activity
- faff aroundIdle without purpose
- faffing aboutAimless time-wasting
- faff aboutIdle ineffectually
- faffed aboutIdled without purpose
- faffed aroundSpent time ineffectually