Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
footle [foo t-l]Informal. ExamplesWord Origin verb (used without object), foot·led, foot·ling.
- to act or talk in a foolish or silly way.
noun
- nonsense; foolishness; silliness.
Origin of footle 1890–95; origin uncertain; cf. footy Examples from the Web for footle Historical Examples of footle
I never did it myself—I think it’s footle—but lots and lots do.
The Flamp, The Ameliorator, and The Schoolboy’s Apprentice
E. V. Lucas
British Dictionary definitions for footle footle verb (intr)
- (often foll by around or about) to loiter aimlessly; potter
- to talk nonsense
noun
- rare foolishness
Word Origin for footle C19: probably from French foutre to copulate with, from Latin futuere Word Origin and History for footle v.
“to trifle,” 1892, from dialectal footer “to trifle,” footy “mean, paltry” (1752), perhaps from French se foutre “to care nothing,” from Old French foutre “to copulate with,” from Latin futuere, originally “to strike, thrust” (cf. confute). But OED derives the English dialect words from foughty (c.1600), from Dutch vochtig or Danish fugtig “damp, musty;” related to fog (n.).