bum around
Related to bum around: conferred, ameliorating, two-fold
bum around
1. To wander aimlessly. My brother still doesn't have a job or a home—he's just been bumming around and staying at friends' houses. Whenever I visit a new city, I like to bum around for a while on foot just to get a feel for the place.
2. To visit bars regularly. He doesn't bum around anymore—in fact, I heard he stopped drinking altogether.
See also: around, bum
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
bum around (with someone)
to spend or waste a lot of time with a particular person. He used to bum around with Ted a lot. They bummed around together all summer.
See also: around, bum
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
bum around
1. Loaf, wander idly, as in After graduating he decided to bum around Europe for a year. [Mid-1800s]
2. Frequent bars or nightclubs, as in Her father accused her of bumming around half the night and threatened to cut off her allowance . In the mid-1800s to bum was slang for going on a drinking spree. A century later, with the addition of around, it simply meant going to saloons or clubs.
See also: around, bum
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
bum around
in. to wander around; to kick around. I thought I’d bum around for a few years before I settled down.
See also: around, bum
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
- tool around
- tooling
- rummage around in (something) for (something)
- rummage around in (something)
- cruise around in
- cruise around in (something)
- bum around with (one)
- rummage through
- rummage through (something) (for something)
- root around in (something)