The word dither is used in its verb form, dithering … as in “dithering around.“ It usually means that the person is not accomplishing anything, but is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. In the form I have chosen to pursue it, to dither, the word signifies the act of vacillating, unable to make up one’s mind. But there is an additional action. When the subject can’t make up his mind, he gets involved in some useless activity to avoid making a decision.
As a writer, the concept is not lost on me. When I am torn between difficult tasks I will resort to a really insignificant task, like checking my emails, reading the news blogs, or scanning the obituaries. They aren’t tasks that require my time or energy at the moment, but they are convenient, allowing me a convenient excuse to keep from having to make a more difficult decision as to work on my novel or finish that screenplay that has been hanging around for several months now. I’m dithering.
A while back some congress members (obvious party) began accusing the President of dithering on some huge issue which was before him. His response was to point out that he wasn’t dithering … he was doing the necessary ground work and studying the potential outcomes of several possible courses of action. To a critic, apparent inactivity lent itself to criticism. To an insider who saw what the President was doing every day, it was clear that he was fully engaged, but avoiding making a knee-jerk reaction.
I happen to like the cartoon Blondie. Its late creator, Chick Young, and now his son, Dean Young, have a gifted ability to express the issues of the day through the unlikely characters of Dagwood Bumstead and his wife, Blondie. I like the way they have allowed the characters to mature over the years, facing contemporary issues that are familiar to the reader. Dagwood’s boss is Mr. Dithers, who seems to be anything but irresolute. He is dominated by the one goal of making money for his company. His business choices, however, lead to the meaning of his name when his wife enters the scene. It is then that he becomes a dithering individual, vacillating between his goal of making money and the need to keep his wife off his back. It might also be said that Mr. Dithers dithers (isn’t that a great construction?) when it comes to firing Bumstead. He’s been doing it for years, only to hire him back immediately. There is clearly more affection between the two than the words would lead one to believe.
Some have suggested that the word dither also might apply to Congress, BP, LeBron James (until last night,) or even Larry King. I suppose it depends upon the critic’s perspective.
Dictionary Credit: Dictionary.com
Graphic Credit: img.tfd.com
