English

Noun

faff ‎(plural faffs)

1. (Britain, slang) An overcomplicated task, especially one perceived as a waste of time.

   Adjusting this television is a bit of a faff.

   • 2011, Patrick Kingsley, "Life with the Queen Mum revealed", The Guardian

     Breakfast in bed at the royal household is a massive faff. A page boy must carry the tray upstairs, but he's banned from actually serving it. So he leaves it on the floor by the bedroom door, whereupon a housemaid picks it up and knocks on said portal.

Verb

faff ‎(third-person singular simple present faffs, present participle faffing, simple past and past participle faffed)

1. (Britain, slang) To waste time on an unproductive activity.

   She faffed about so much, she never got to eat her breakfast.

   I decided to stop faffing about and get some work done.

Usage notes

• Particularly used with about or around.

Synonyms

• (waste time): arse around, dick around (American)