Tudor & Stuart · word · verb, adjective, adverb, noun
Shilly-shally
SHIL-ee-shal-ee /ˈʃɪliˌʃæli/pronunciation given by a dictionary
First recordedby 1700 (as 'shill I, shall I')
To dither, hesitate or be unable to make up one's mind; a mocking reduplication of 'shall I? shall I?'. Grose gives 'to stand shilly-shally', to hesitate or stand in doubt.
Where it was first recorded
As 'shill I, shall I' by 1700; 'to stand shilly-shally' is dated 1703; the verb is dated 1782 by Etymonline but 1754 by Merriam-Webster.
Also spelled: shill I, shall I, shilly shally, shilly-shallying
In its own time
But if so be as how his regard be the same, why stand shilly shally?
Today
Modern exampleStop shilly-shallying and pick a restaurant; the kitchen closes at nine.
Fine to use; still current for dithering.
Questions
What does shilly-shally mean?
To dither, hesitate or be unable to make up one's mind; a mocking reduplication of 'shall I? shall I?'. Grose gives 'to stand shilly-shally', to hesitate or stand in doubt.
When was shilly-shally first used?
It is first recorded by 1700 (as 'shill I, shall I') — As 'shill I, shall I' by 1700; 'to stand shilly-shally' is dated 1703; the verb is dated 1782 by Etymonline but 1754 by Merriam-Webster.
Can you still use shilly-shally today?
Fine to use; still current for dithering.
Sources
- shilly-shally (v.) — Online Etymology Dictionary
- shilly-shally — Merriam-Webster
- A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, Francis Grose, 1st edition (London: S. Hooper, 1785) — Internet Archive (scan + OCR)
- A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, 'Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue'), Francis Grose — Project Gutenberg eBook #5402
- The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, Tobias Smollett — Project Gutenberg eBook #2160
Checked 2026-09-30 · verdict: attested — found in the dictionaries and texts listed above