waffle
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈwɒf.l̩/
ipa: [wɒf.ɫ̩]
ipa: /ˈwɑ.fl̩/
ipa: [ˈwɑ.fɫ̩]
note: some in New England
ipa: /ˈwɔ.fl̩/
note: some in New England
ipa: [ˈwɔ.fɫ̩]
ipa: /ˈwɔf.l̩/
ipa: [ˈwɔf.ɫ̩]
rhymes: -ɒfəl
Forms: form: waffles
form: waffling
form: waffled
form: waffled
Etymology: The verb is borrowed from Scots waffle (“to waver, flap, flutter”), from waff (“to wag, wave; to flap, flutter”) + -le (diminutive or frequentative suffix), from Middle Scots waff (“signal; gust of wind; glimpse; a flapping, waving”), from Northern Middle English wafe, waffe, a variant of waven (“to move to and fro, sway; to stray, wander; (figuratively) to follow a weaving course; (figuratively) to vacillate, waver; to move something to and fro, wave”) (whence wave), from Old English wafian (“to wave”), from Proto-Germanic *wabōną, *wabjaną (“to sway; to wander”), from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”).
Regarding sense 5 (“to speak or write (something) at length without any clear aim or point”), compare Old English wæflian (“to talk foolishly”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Germanic *babalōną (“to babble, chatter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰā- (“to say”) and/or Proto-Indo-European *baba- (“to talk vaguely; to mumble”). The Oxford English Dictionary does not derive the English word waffle from this Old English word. Compare also Dutch wauwelen (“to linger, waffle, jabber, gab, chat”).
The noun is derived from the verb.
Senses: examples: text: Again the answer was "waffled," for this did not say that no air units had been alerted. Only that none had been "identified." Moreover, the reply concerned air "unit[s]" as opposed to "air craft".
ref: 1970, John Galloway, The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, page 115:
synonyms: beat around the bush
glosses: To speak or write evasively or vaguely.
examples: text: The geese waffled as they approached the water.
synonyms: whiffle
glosses: Of a bird: to move in a side-to-side motion while descending before landing.
topics: aeronautics
aerospace
aviation
business
engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
road
transport
glosses: Of an aircraft or motor vehicle: to travel in a slow and unhurried manner.
examples: text: I waffled between going to the deposition and going to the doctor's. Wishing Barbara was there, I decided to call the doctor afterward.
ref: 2011, Tony Hefner, Between the Fences:
text: But as Germany struggles to overcome its post-World War II reluctance to lead on security matters in Europe and set aside its instinct to accommodate rather than confront Russia, Europe’s most pivotal country has waffled in the first crucial test for the new government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
ref: 2022 January 25, Katrin Bennhold, “Where Is Germany in the Ukraine Standoff? Its Allies Wonder.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
text: A source close to Altman says the board had agreed in principle to resign and to allow Altman and Brockman to return, but has since waffled — missing a key 5PM PT deadline by which many OpenAI staffers were set to resign.
ref: 2023 November 18, Nilay Patel, “OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO”, in The Verge:
synonyms: blow hot and cold
glosses: To be indecisive about something; to dither, to vacillate, to waver.
examples: text: Unless you have a great line in gags or repartee don't waffle on aimlessly to your audience, or make in-jokes among yourselves, the band or the compere/DJ.
ref: 1976, Tony Hatch, So you want to be in the music business, Everest Books, page 68:
text: Before getting down to the nitty gritty of beekeeping, most contributors to BBJ like to waffle on for a bit about the weather, the state of their garden or something equally inconsequential.
ref: 1984, “Apiary Antics- No.5”, in British bee journal, volumes 112-113, page 68:
text: She waffled on for ages. Usually I'd say something smart or make it obvious that I wasn't interested and couldn't be bothered listening.
ref: 2005, Bill Condon, No Worries, Univ. of Queensland Press, page 78:
text: The whole thing ended suddenly when the hotel manager arrived. He waffled on for a bit; this settled everyone down.
ref: 2006, Carl Storm, A Mighty Fine Way to Live and Die, Backstrap Ltd, page 8:
synonyms: word: babble
word: bat the breeze
word: blab
word: blabber
word: blather
word: carp
word: chat
word: chatter
word: chew the fat
word: chew the rag
word: chinwag
word: chit-chat
word: chunner
word: clack
word: claver
word: clepe
word: drivel
word: jabber
word: gabble
word: gibber
word: go on
word: maunder
word: natter
word: palaver
word: piffle
word: prate
word: prattle
word: rabbit
word: rabbit on
word: ramble
word: shoot the breeze
word: shoot the bull
word: shoot the shit
word: smatter
word: tattle
word: twaddle
word: waffle
word: wibble
word: witter
word: yabber
word: yack
word: yatter
word: yap
glosses: Often followed by on: to speak or write (something) at length without any clear aim or point; to ramble.
examples: text: “[…] You get anything useful on the background checks?” / He waffled his hand. “Nothing like what you brought back, but still some interesting notes.[…]”
ref: 2007, Michael Koryta, Sorrow’s Anthem, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 146:
glosses: To hold horizontally and rotate (one's hand) back and forth in a gesture of ambivalence or vacillation.
Derived terms: word: waffler
word: waffling