Puttering: definition and example

[Ray-CA]

 

[dougf]

For me these have been things such as caulking/re-caulking, fixing flashing, small retaining walls to keep dirt off walkways, maintaining the gravel driveway and ditch out front, weed eating along fence lines, sealing insulation gaps with expanding foam, picking weeds, cutting away brush from the base of trees, etc... Basically necessary preventative maintenance type things.

When all the small things get taken care of it really makesyour property look good, and makes you feel good.

 

[bb29510]

i am very good at that

 

[RPH]

This, right here, doing this, right now.

 

[zmotorsports]

By that definition I would have to say that the vast majority of everything I do is "puttering".

My wife got home the other night and I had the lawnmowers up in the air cleaning the decks. She said she didn't know they needed cleaning. I changed the fuel filters in the coach, again she said she didn't know they needed replacing.

Even preventive maintenance to our fleet, most of the time no one needs the work should be done or even notices anything after the work is done. I guess I'm a good "putterer-er-er".

 

[Garcky]

Kinda like guys getting a classic car ready for a major car show. Out there hunched down with Q-tips to make sure every seam is clean and tidy. And then doing it again, just in case. Puttering...

As David Byrne sings: "I ain't got time for that now...."

 

[alfadan]

I do most of my puttering when I'm supposed to be doing something important.

 

[isb cornbinder]

Puttering, for me is what happens after I eat ethnic foods. TEX-MEX has the quickest response and has lasting potential. I used to blame the dog until this happened. She is OK now.

 

[engineer2]

Been there
done that
still doing that
and still no one notices
Tell the wife I just cleaned off the workbench and reorganized shelves in the garage, and I get the "so what" look..

 

[ZRX61]

In the UK it's *pottering*

 

[ltusler]

I've had that poster in my shop for awhile now. Its my go to 'What are you doing today?" answer.

Just bought a 1984 boat, motor and trailer to teach the grandsons about fishing and boating. It needs a lot of PO un-puttering.

 

[Beelzeboss]

In the UK it's *pottering*

Same here in Australia, seems like it's most of what I do in the garage

 

[Pexto]

I may need a little help here on the distinction between 'puttering' and 'tinkering'. Asking for a friend, of course.

 

[Zeke]

Puttering is putting things away when you don't need to because you have nothing else to do or want to do.

 

[Rst277]

Many vital tasks fall into the puttering category. If only wives could understand!

 

[PassnThru]

I may need a little help here on the distinction between 'puttering' and 'tinkering'. Asking for a friend, of course.

I consider puttering doing something that needs to be done but isn't creating anything new nor will it last. A good example is cleaning - the house, the cars, the concrete, etc. Honest jobs in and of themselves and have to be done but require no real thought. I may be the odd man out though for considering puttering around doing actual work.
Tinkering is filling idle time with something that has no real immediate result. An example would be doing something to learn or improve a skill - say taking something apart to see how it works. Maybe doing a little practice on something that you want to learn more about but what you create has no use in the end.

 

[couch67]

{me organizing my zip-tie drawer}
Mrs. Couch: "dinner is almost ready, what are you up to?"
Me: "just puttering. be there in a minute"

 

[ZRX61]

I may need a little help here on the distinction between 'puttering' and 'tinkering'. Asking for a friend, of course.

Pottering covers a lot of ground in the garage, tinkering is a static event at a workbench etc.

Eg: Today I was going to tinker with the rear axle eccentrics on the ZX11, but instead I pottered about putting tools away because I decided the axle job could wait & the tools got put away because I won't be doing any other work on the ZX11 until I pick up the new o-ring for the oil filter plate etc at the Kaw dealer next week.

 

[dougf]

I know a man from South Africa who uses the term boondoggling a lot, I suppose its the same thing as puttering by the way he uses it.

 

[Mike65]

I could putter for hours.

 

[LOW1]

“Puttering.” The art of avoiding doing something you dislike by pretending to be busy doing something not necessary.

 

[Jayman17]

“Puttering.” The art of avoiding doing something you dislike by pretending to be busy doing something not necessary.

Are you my long lost brother? You nailed it.

 

[Monza Harry]

Puttering means: to do a few/many non-time sensitive jobs of low consequence, to me!
Like cleaning up the small things on the bench attacking those naging jobs that, aren't hard nbut usually annoying, change some batteries/light bulbs etc.
A boondogle has been used around me as a "quagmire" or with very little connection to: a job that has ran head first at the speed of light straight into the middle of that MESSY mud pit. Ok a little connected!
Tinkering has always seemed connected to adjusting or finessing something.
These are just my learnings typically from "context" Harry

 

[3baygarage]

I enjoy puttering around the garage. Maybe getting an old ratchet working.

Now my step-grandpa, he was a master putterer of the yard and garden variety. Always messing with something. Checking his tomatoes, spraying the lawn, playing with rocks, going after moles. The man built a small mill with a working water wheel for his yard which was sweet

 

[buzzworth]

I may need a little help here on the distinction between 'puttering' and 'tinkering'. Asking for a friend, of course.

That's similar to defining the difference between lollygagging & dilly-dallying. I do both well, but not at the same time.

 

[ZRX61]

Update to post #18:

I've now tinkered with the ZRX rear wheel issue, now I need to potter again as there is a pile of tools on the bench.

 

[ZRX61]

That's similar to defining the difference between lollygagging & dilly-dallying. I do both well, but not at the same time.

I sometimes shilly shally...
Dilly dallying is usually caused by a lack of focus or motivation, while lollygagging is usually caused by a conscious decision to avoid work or obligations.

 

[Jazz1]

I spent 3 1/2 months in my garage puttering after back surgery with a 10 lb lift limit, I stayed busy most of the day and never did get around to sorting out my loose nuts and bolts.
Sold a lot of items i knew I would never need, auto parts etc that were taking up valuable space in garage,,,really, how many welders do ya need>?

 

[Swervyjoe]

I thought it was piddling.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I thought it was piddling.

Nah, but sometimes that can happen involuntarily WHILE puttering! Lol

 

[nadogail]

It all seems to be similar to Ships Husbandry, those many small things that if neglected turn into big problems.

 

[imagineer]

I don't consider it "puttering about", but on the rare occasion where I find I've got time without a specific purpose, I do what I refer to as "The Pick-Up/Put-Down Game". (Side note, I'm a pack-rat and and am easily distracted, so my workshop is usually somewhat disorganized.)

The game is . . . I'll find something that's not in it's proper place (a tool, piece of material, book or whatever) and I'll pick it up. I won't put it down until it can put where it belongs. The game usually spawns side projects to create or improve storage solutions.

An example . . . A while back I needed to replace the faucet head on the spigot in the barn. The old faucet head was junk, but I recovered a couple of brass fittings that I figured might have a 2nd use someday. Last weekend, I noticed them on a workbench and picked them up. 2-3 hours later, I had made a box for accumulating materials and round stock for lathe projects, and had modified the lathe bench to accommodate the new box . . . and now the brass fittings are placed exactly where they should be.

 

[rharman]

I don't consider it "puttering about", but on the rare occasion where I find I've got time without a specific purpose, I do what I refer to as "The Pick-Up/Put-Down Game". (Side note, I'm a pack-rat and and am easily distracted, so my workshop is usually somewhat disorganized.)

The game is . . . I'll find something that's not in it's proper place (a tool, piece of material, book or whatever) and I'll pick it up. I won't put it down until it can put where it belongs. The game usually spawns side projects to create or improve storage solutions.

An example . . . A while back I needed to replace the faucet head on the spigot in the barn. The old faucet head was junk, but I recovered a couple of brass fittings that I figured might have a 2nd use someday. Last weekend, I noticed them on a workbench and picked them up. 2-3 hours later, I had made a box for accumulating materials and round stock for lathe projects, and had modified the lathe bench to accommodate the new box . . . and now the brass fittings are placed exactly where they should be.

 

[Ray-CA]

Best example of "puttering, piddling or..."

Ray