A charming verb and likely linguistic smoothie of quiddity and fiddle or twiddle. Quiddity (1530s) stems from quidditas, Middle Latin, literally “whatness,” the meaning having evolved from scholastic disputes over the nature of things.

During lengthy departmental meetings over which he presided as chair, Professor Prolix was infamous for quiddling on academic minutia while fiddling with his favorite fountain pen as his fellow academics sat twiddling their thumbs.