Google says "faff" is just British English. Is it well understood in other English speaking regions? If not, is there an international alternative?
faff
BRITISH informal
verb: faff; 3rd person present: faffs; past tense: faffed; past participle: faffed; gerund or present participle: faffing
- spend time in ineffectual activity.
"we can't faff around forever"
noun: faff
- a great deal of ineffectual activity.
"there was the usual faff of getting back to the plane"
Best Answer
It appears the expression is still mainly a British one:
From the Phrase Finder:
From World Wide Words:
Fom Wiktionary:
From One-off Britishisms:
As noted by a few users, the expression appears to be commonly used in Australia where it may have found its way in the early days as suggested the Phrase Finder:
From "The Australian Journal", 1879: