Recently, reader Joanne Crandall of Ojai wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Los Angeles Times pointing out what she considered a usage error by a Times columnist, in a June 16th article called “Testimony heard on Simpson items” in which the writer described O. J. Simpson as “wiling away his time in prison.”

Ms. Crandall wrote a witty letter of correction saying: “I see that O. J. Simpson is up to his old tricks: wiling away in prison. He is indeed, “skilled at using clever tricks to deceive.” (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary), but perhaps you (the journalist) meant “whiling.” Or did you?

According to the Oxford Minidictionary, wiling away may also be used for whiling away.

While away is a verb phrase meaning to pass time in a leisurely manner. It is a transitive verb, so you need to have an object to go along with it. “O. J. Simpson is whiling away his time in prison.” “Time” acts as the verb complement (direct object).

A wile, is a noun that carries the meaning: “piece of trickery,” but it can also be used as a transitive verb phrase: “to wile away” (i. e. to pass time leisurely) equivalent to “while away.” Oxford Minidictionary.

To answer Ms. Crandall’s question: Simpson can both while away, and wile away his time, but in each case he would be passing his time leisurely. He cannot wile away, as in being engaged in trickery. You would have to use an adverb phrase such as “in trickery” or “as a trickster” to modify the verb.

Note: The Times editors did not bother to point this out to a very careful reader, yet not overly careful.

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