What's it called when someone...

ought

Procrastination?

Procrastination, or selective alternative multi-tasking, which sounds better? Like wot I am doing now!

Procrastination ??

No procrastination about our replies

I am getting very good at whatever it is called!

Bloody annoying

Procrastination. Procrustes was a mythical Greek host who offered hospitality to passers-by, sleeping on his Procrustean bed which magically fitted the tallest or shortest of guests. What he didn't tell them was that tall people had a bit chopped off their legs to make them fit, and short people had their limbs stretched to the right length (and he robbed them while they were incapacitated). Procrastination is stretching out what is to be done, to fit the time available for it.

(Not prevarication, as people often say. Prevarication is avoiding telling the truth, aka telling fibs.)

Some say that it derives from the Latin "pro cras" - for tomorrow - but the connection with Procrustes "the hammerer", who hammers and stretches metal, is too good to ignore.

It's called sitting in the swivel chair by the desk in the hall looking at GN rather than planting all the new stuff in the very hot garden!

And sipping a cold drink..........very slowly! Having recently try eaten an almond magnum!

It’s called ‘doing an Annie’

sleeping on his Procrustean bed

Ooooh, I like that word. That reminded me of the Fungus the Bogeyman story (which I loved.) He had a slimy bed, mind you, not a crusty one.

Bogey people only thrive in dark, slimy homes and feel threatened by people on the surface, who like to be clean, warm and dry. The book opens in the Bogey bedroom. "Ooh! What a night that was!" says Fungus. "The bed has almost dried up!" "I know, drear," says his wife, Mildew. "It needs more slime

Sorry. I digress.

Displacement activity. I do it all the time.

I suppose another possibility is procreation. On second thoughts, probably more for Msnet than Gnet.

When the displacement activity becomes too arduous or boring, is the next thing you do a dis-dis-placement activity?

Procrastination is the thief of time baggs ( so get your arse in gear.) ?

It's called, My Husband!

Thank you for all the procrastinatory comments. The one I couldn't bring to the forefront of my mind was "displacement activities".

I think my favourite is "doing an Annie" . Are we allowed to call it "being a banana", Annie, or has your new chair/settee sorted the bananas?

That too, merlot!

For those who watched the Only Connect final last week, the answer has to be Esquivalience.

It’s a Mountweazel, dontcha know?

Am excellent at it
..creep past the housework and go and do my garden!

What I am doing at the moment - posting on GN - is my favourite displacement activity.

I have a sign above my desk at work that reads.....

Why do today, what you can put off until tomorrow.

I think the should bring back daybeds where you can lounge about writing you to do list between naps. ?