# Find me the right word for this fruitless activity **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 20, 2026, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-me-the-right-word-for-this-fruitless-activity/1026864 "2026-01-20T20:56:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-me-the-right-word-for-this-fruitless-activity/1026864/21 "2026-01-21T15:52:42Z")
It is clearly a form of **resistentialism** , the perceived malevolent or spiteful behavior of inanimate objects, suggesting they actively conspire against humans to cause minor annoyances. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-me-the-right-word-for-this-fruitless-activity/1026864/22 "2026-01-21T16:49:45Z")
I like to say that inanimate objects frequently fail to live up to their name. I also like to say that electronic devices combine the worst of both worlds: the stubborn obstinacy of the inanimate with the willful disobedience of the animate. As to the OP, I’m reminded of the time when Wile E. Coyote found himself covered in glue with a lit stick of dynamite he couldn’t let go of. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-me-the-right-word-for-this-fruitless-activity/1026864/23 "2026-01-21T16:58:11Z")
Maybe **fruitility**? ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-me-the-right-word-for-this-fruitless-activity/1026864/24 "2026-01-21T21:20:10Z")
Rich Hall called that “Carperpetuation”. One of his sniglets. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-me-the-right-word-for-this-fruitless-activity/1026864/25 "2026-01-21T21:51:51Z")
The German world that describes perfectly what you were doing is surprisingly short: HERUMSCHEISSEN (lit: to shit around; activity that turned out to be useless ; sometimes it also has the connotations of shooting the breeze. ) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-me-the-right-word-for-this-fruitless-activity/1026864/26 "2026-01-21T22:03:02Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > The German world that describes perfectly what you were doing is surprisingly short: > > HERUMSCHEISSEN I’d propose another German word, though it’s probably only Westphalian dialect and not understood in the whole German speaking world: “fuckeln”. It means to aimlessly mess around with your hands to solve a mechanical problem, e. g. loosening a complicated knot in your shoe laces. I think that fits, and because we already had “fuck” and “ficken” varieties, it also fits in that regard. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-me-the-right-word-for-this-fruitless-activity/1026864.md?page=1)