footle

 
Pronunciation: /ˈfuːt(ə)l/

verb

[no object] chiefly British
  • engage in fruitless activity; mess about: where’s that pesky creature that was footling about outside?

Origin:

late 19th century: perhaps from dialect footer 'idle, potter about', from 16th-century foutre 'worthless thing', from Old French, literally 'have sexual intercourse with'