fiddle around

Related to fiddle around: fiddle away

fiddle around

1. To play with or idly handle (something); to tinker (with something), especially ineptly or improperly. John, would you quit fiddling around with the engine and bring the car to a shop already? Mary, stop fiddling around with hem of your dress and sit still!
2. To engage in aimless recreation or frivolous time-wasting with someone or something. Quit fiddling around and work on your book report already!
3. To annoy or irritate someone, often by wasting their time. Quit fiddling around with me and give my book back, will you?
See also: around, fiddle
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

fiddle around (with something)

 and fiddle about (with something)
to play with something; to tinker with something ineptly. My brother is outside fiddling around with his car engine. He should stop fiddling around and go out and get a job.
See also: around, fiddle

fiddle around

(with someone) and fiddle about (with someone) to tease, annoy, or play with someone; to waste someone's time. All right, stop fiddling around with me and tell me how much you will give me for my car. Now it's time for all of you to quit fiddling around and get to work. Tom, you have to stop spending your time fiddling about with your friends. It's time to get serious with your studies.
See also: around, fiddle
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

fiddle around

v.
To act foolishly, playfully, or without a clear sense of purpose: If you don't stop fiddling around and start working, we'll never get home.
See also: around, fiddle
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • fiddling
  • fiddle about
  • fiddle with
  • fiddle with (something)
  • stand around
  • crap around
  • hack around
  • piss around
  • lollygag
  • lollygag around
References in periodicals archive
Of course for everyday use, this might be annoying because someone might innocently fiddle around with the device and accidentally erase all the files.
PIN code protected USB flash drive
The existing multi-tier tax structure on tobacco applies different tax rates on cigarettes based on their retail prices that allow tobacco industry to fiddle around and pay minimum possible taxes to the government while garnering larger profit at the cost of smoker's health.
70% raise in tobacco taxes, strict enforce of tobacco control laws demanded
Drilon stressed that the country's sovereignty was not something we should fiddle around with.
Don't let Zamboanga crisis drag on, Honasan warns gov't
WEATHER @SianWeather: Ok, weather gods,you''ve had your fun.Now flap off & fiddle around with some other folk.And take that Beast from the East with u #weatheredout @bbcweather: Typically in March daytime temps across the UK range from 5 to 15C.
tweets OF THE DAY
After all, many people jump in their cars and hop off to the big shopping centres that surround us like White Rose near Leeds and Sheffield's Meadowhall rather than go down to Huddersfield town centre and fiddle around looking for change to pay at the parking meter.
Parking on the phone; COMMENT The policy of honesty. The might of right. The expediency of principle
The unionists in Westminster and the Assembly will just fiddle around, and procrastinate wherever possibly, and if they get round to maKing any decision, it will be to their own advantage, not Wales'.
Follow the Scots; YOUR LETTERS TO THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF WALES
Men were fed in a reasonable manner and cooks had to do a job and make ends meet and they didn't fiddle around with two eggs and two ounces of flour and a pinch of salt.
VENT YOUR SPLEEN
I don't have the time to fiddle around with spreadsheets and accountants charge a fortune to process the paperwork; he continued.
MPs to weigh in over research tax break row: controversial changes to HM Revenue's credit scheme to be explored by select committee
The former Take That star was so moved by the King of Pop's death that he decided to fiddle around with the tracklisting and add the new song.
Robbie Williams adds Jackson tribute song to new album
It contains worldwide Group winners and placed runners and allows you to fiddle around with different pedigrees and see what works.
'She could improve for stepping up into better company' INVESTEC OAKS BREEDER PROFILE
Record your voice and then fiddle around with the pitch, tone, and speed to create some bizarre versions of your voice.
web: i Want; Nintendo DSi
Both are decent and very able machines, and will ferry your brood about in comfort, but you'll need to fiddle around with different baby seat makes and combos to get three across the rear.
AT YOUR SERVICE
But now he wants me to go on the Pill as he say he doesn't want to fiddle around with condoms again.
Where can I get contraceptives?
The Z-1000's buttons are placed logically so you won't have to fiddle around much when navigating the camera's on-board interface.
Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z1000
These days you have to fiddle around with ports, wires and have a solid understanding of computer programming before anything works.
Home truths