futz

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Pronunciations

futz (FUHTZ) listen

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Definitions

  • v. To tinker (with); make small changes.

  • v. ('futz around') To waste time, screw around.

Example Sentences

  • "He turned the project in late because he could not stop futzing with it."

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • from vulgar Yiddish אַרומפֿאַרצן זיך arúmfartsn zikh 'to fart around'

      • Who Uses This

      • Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
      • Non-Jews: (words that have spread outside of Jewish networks)

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • None

      Alternative Spellings

      futs, futs

Notes

  • Even in the early 1940s it was used by many non-Jews. Rothenberg, Julius. 1943. “Some American Idioms from the Yiddish.” American Speech 18(1): 43-48.

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