"Bummel" is a German word meaning, in the venacular, a slow and leisurely stroll for any or no purpose; when spoken aloud in local dialects it sounds very like "Bimble". Plenty of ways for our military boys to have adopted it through this route, or else as any linguist will tell you German is the mother of English, so it may well be a much older migration; the NE coast of the UK would be a natural point of entry for much old German slang, from the days when fishermen would be stranded in foul weather for longer or shorter periods of time.
Always knew it from the British Army. Often heard from a Senior NCO debriefing a patrol of officer cadets/YOs following a less than stellar performance on a patrol. Also heard during same debrief would be less than complimentary observations about thumbs apparently be left up rear ends etc etc. Oh, the laughs we had........
"...Stravaig, pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable which is pronounced like vague, means to roam or wander around, often for pleasure and frequently with no particular destination or aim in mind..."
I don't think bimble sounds wimpy, but then I seldom do anything in a wimpy manner, so when I'm bimbling it isn't wimpy.
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