to slow down; to impede; to make someone late / to delay; to postpone when something takes place; to put off

an advance; progress

make progress

he / distal demonstrative, something far off removed from both speaker and listener: that / boyfriend

distal demonstrative, something far off removed from both speaker and listener: that, yon / particularly, male personal third person pronoun: he / by extension from he: boyfriend

he; boyfriend

meeting, conference

to hold a meeting

mumblingly

(onomatopoeia) Representing gentle laughter.