Faffing around

British Slang

Definition

Wasting time by dithering or fussing with trivial, unnecessary tasks; being ineffectually busy.

Examples

"Stop faffing around and get your coat because the bus is leaving."

"We spent half an hour faffing around with the projector instead of starting the meeting."

"He was faffing around in the kitchen, lining up the spice jars while the pasta overcooked."