doodle
Fool around or putter instead of getting the real job done.
Also called doodle around, doodling.
Updated September 21, 2026
doodle pronunciation
/DOO-dul/
Meaning
In rural Southern and mountain talk, to doodle (or doodle around) is to mess with little nothing-jobs while the real work waits. Close kin to diddling and piddling: you look busy enough, but you ain't finishing much. A daddy on the porch might tell a kid to quit doodling and haul that wood.
How folks use it
- “Stop doodling with that radio and finish loading the truck.”
- “He doodled around the barn all morning and never got the fence fixed.”
Origin and etymology
Doodle started out centuries ago as a word for a fool or simpleton (think Yankee Doodle). From there it picked up verb senses: scribbling aimlessly, and fooling with something without serious intent. In Appalachian speech it sits beside diddle as everyday talk for wasting time or pretending to work.
Frequently asked questions
Is doodle the same as scribbling on paper?
That sense exists too. On this site, the redneck sense is fooling around or puttering when you ought to be working.