gallivanting
Running around town for fun instead of staying put or working.
Also called gallivantin'.
Updated September 21, 2026
gallivanting pronunciation
/GAL-uh-vant-in/
Meaning
Roaming, visiting, and killing time when chores or supper are waiting. Mama says it with half a smile and half a scold: "Where you been gallivantin'?" Not always fancy travel. Could be the creek, the feed store parking lot, or three counties over for no good reason.
How folks use it
- “Them boys been gallivanting all afternoon instead of stacking that wood.”
- “Granny ain't home. She's out gallivanting with her church friends again.”
Origin and etymology
English from the early 1800s, maybe a playful take on "gallant," once tied to frivolous flirting and gadding about. Exact root is uncertain. Southern and Appalachian family talk kept the word warm as everyday scolding long after other regions filed it under old-fashioned.