Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun idiomatic Any apparently useless activity which, by allowing you to overcome intermediate difficulties, allows you to solve a larger problem.
  • noun idiomatic The actually useless activity you do that appears important when you are consciously or unconsciously procrastinating about a larger problem.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Uncertain.

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Examples

Comments

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  • ?!

    August 11, 2008

  • Ooh, I didn't know someone had entered this. And I can't remember where we had a conversation about it in the last several weeks (months?). This came up at work; it indicates an activity (or several) you have to do in order to get something else done. For example, if you want to get the monthly sales reports, first you have to ask this person, who needs to get the weekly reports from you, but your software hasn't been updated, so you have to get IT to install it, only that guy's on vacation... You end up shaving a yak in order to get the first thing done.

    I described this badly. I bet reesetee or Pro or someone will remember where the original comment was...

    August 11, 2008

  • Could it have been on yak-shaving?

    August 11, 2008

  • *facepalm*

    Well, at least I provided another example. So far this is shaping up to be a great day. Think I'll log off for a while.

    August 11, 2008