Question 1

What does "bally about" mean?

Accepted Answer

(Dated, British) To waste time or behave in a pointless, foolish way.

Question 2

How do you use "bally about" in a sentence?

Accepted Answer

Stop bally about and come in for dinner before it gets cold.

Question 3

Is "bally about" formal or informal?

Accepted Answer

"bally about" is register-neutral — appropriate in both casual and formal contexts. 'Bally' is a dated British euphemism for a stronger expletive. 'Bally about' is now largely archaic and would sound old-fashioned or comic to modern British ears. You might encounter it in pre-1960s literature or humorous period drama.

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