flop around

flop around

To flail or otherwise move around awkwardly. He must be having a nightmare, judging by how he's flopping around in his bed. The fish flopped around on dry land.
See also: around, flop
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

flop around

[for something] to turn around awkwardly; [for a fish out of water] to squirm and flap. The hose flopped around, throwing water first this way and then that, knocking down plants as it flopped. A number of fish flopped around in the bottom of the boat.
See also: around, flop
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • find way around
  • bomb around
  • go around and around
  • get (someone) around the table
  • get around the table
  • around (one's) ears
  • gaze around
  • dart around
  • gaze around at (someone or something)
  • feel around
References in periodicals archive
Spend some time in front of Pete's Pierside Cafe and Fish Market ($) watching the sea lions flop around. Finally, nab one of the see-through tables at Olde Port Inn ($$$; 805/595-2515) to eat cioppino while watching the kelp slosh under your bowl.
My NFL season would have been over, but fortunately I just had to have it flop around my keyboard for about 12 weeks of recovery.
But things like drip edges, flashing, plastic conduit or siding will all flop around and get damaged on the way home.
"I've always been hard grafting and I knewI needed to take a break but I didn't want to just flop around on a holiday; Iwanted to be a bit active."
"The paw moves much quicker than a normal hand, so my real hand has to flop around a lot to compensate."
The judoists (is that what they're called?) just seemed to flop around with each other on a mat for a few seconds before the arbiter blew his whistle.
"And there's a mental aspect; you can't just flop around and do whatever you want like runners can."
Other cams I have spun go flop, flop, flop around the axle creating a very noticeable thumping feel.
"You can't just flop around looking at opportunities here and there, go left, go right.
The things that mess us up from an integration perspective are the things that aren't modeled well--hoses and cables and things that flop around are not modeled well in the off-line packages.
"They're using every tool in the world to make sure it's the right decision, because they can no longer afford to bring in somebody who's going to flop around for three to four months, then prove to be a mistake, and the whole cycle has to be started again," he said.
Head for your favourite beach and flop around this summer in a soft beach hat and start taking yourself less seriously.
Content to flop around his luxury pig condo until he turns hooves up.
"They seem tough because they flop around and make such a fuss.
The now unsupported Florida-based e design (just for the record it's at sustainable.state.fl.us/fdi/edesign) lets you flop around the site and only when you hit News do you discover that this is now an archive site and for sale: 'free or best offer' reads the lugubrious sign.