Is the expression "to while away" as in "to while away the time" or is it "to wile away"?

Question

Is the expression "to while away" as in "to while away the time" or is it "to wile away"?

Answer 1

While

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/while+a...

"wile" is a noun meaning devious strategies.

Well, upon further research - it apparently can be both.

Answer 2

while

Answer 3

wile ><

Answer 4

Dictionary: while

The time, effort, or trouble taken in doing something

Idioms beginning with while:

while back

while away

while there's life there's hope

See also all the time (while); a while back; every now and then (once in a while); fiddle while Rome burns; get out while the getting is good; in a while; make hay while the sun shines; once in a while; quit while you're ahead; strike while the iron's hot; worth one's while.

http://www.answers.com/topic/while

wile away:

to spend or pass (time), esp. in a leisurely or pleasurable fashion: to wile away the long winter nights.

http://dictionary.infoplease.com/wile

wile away:

to spend or pass (time), esp. in a leisurely or pleasurable fashion: to wile away the long winter nights.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q...

while or wile?

Do not confuse the spelling of while and wile, which sound similar. While indicates a time or an additional consideration: took it while I was not looking, While I applaud the motive, the result might be disastrous.Wile, or more often the plural wiles, refers to cunning behavior.

http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/while...

Idioms: while away

Spend time idly or pleasantly, as in It was a beautiful day and we whiled away the hours in the garden. This expression is the only surviving use of the verb while, meaning "to spend time." [First half of 1600s]

Meaning #1: spend or pass, as with boredom or in a pleasant manner; of time

  Synonym: get through

http://www.answers.com/topic/while-away

A good way to while away the time

http://rwbooks.blogspot.com/2008/04/good...

while away the time

beguile the time, burn daylight, buy time, consume time, dabble,

     diddle, doodle, drown care, footle, fribble, fritter away time

http://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/...

Something to while away the time

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/24/336...

Flash game to while away the time.

http://vnboards.ign.com/tristan/b20878/1...

The expression "Wile away" is colloquial and is not accepted in academic circles.

Answer 5

to wile away

Answer 6

To my surprise, it turns out that "wile" is correct.

See the last example below:

WILE

NOUN:

A stratagem or trick intended to deceive or ensnare.

A disarming or seductive manner, device, or procedure: the wiles of a skilled negotiator.

Trickery; cunning.

TRANSITIVE VERB:

wiled , wil?ing , wiles

To influence or lead by means of wiles; entice.

To pass (time) agreeably: wile away a Sunday afternoon.

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