Also means
to mumble incoherently
Usage Note
Bafouiller is informal and slightly comic in tone, used to describe speaking that is muddled, hesitant, or barely intelligible — often from nervousness or embarrassment. It is stronger than bégayer (to stutter) in suggesting confused content, not just disfluent speech. You might hear il bafouillle des excuses to mean someone is fumbling through an apology.
Examples
"Il bafouillait une réponse confuse."
Natural Translation
He was stammering a confused answer.
Literal Translation
He was mumbling a confused response.
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