fritter away

fritter away

To waste or squander something, often in small increments. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fritter" and "away." If you keep frittering away your savings on sales at the mall, you'll be broke again in no time.
See also: away
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

fritter something away (on someone or something)

to waste something, such as money, on someone or something, foolishly. Did you fritter good money away on that old car? You frittered away one hundred dollars on that piece of junk?
See also: away
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

fritter away

Squander or waste little by little; wear down gradually. For example, She frittered away her salary on odds and ends and saved nothing. This expression was first recorded in Alexander Pope's Dunciad (1728): "How prologues into prefaces decay, And these to notes are fritter'd quite away."
See also: away
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

fritter away

v.
To gradually use something up, especially wastefully or without serious purpose: They frittered away their inheritance. I frittered my lottery winnings away on bad investments. I frittered away my vacation time watching television.
See also: away
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.

fritter away

Gradually waste or wear down. This seemingly rustic expression was used by Alexander Pope in The Dunciad (1728), in which he lampooned all his literary enemies: “How prologues into prefaces decay, And these to notes are fritter’d quite away.”
See also: away
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • bring away
  • blaze away
  • blaze away at (someone or something)
  • bury away
  • chew away
  • boring
  • borne
  • bear away
  • chuck away
  • cut away
References in periodicals archive
How did a country the size of Britain manage to fritter away such a phenomenal heritage?
AS CHILDREN in the North East prepare to go back to school, new research reveals a worrying number of them will fritter away their parents' cash by stocking up at the sweet shop on the way to class.
THAT Birmingham City Council managed to fritter away over pounds 1 million of taxpayers' money on expensive taxi journeys is a worrying example of the reckless attitude that many local government workers seem to have towards public funds.
BRITISH tourists will fritter away 365,000 weeks languishing in holiday hotel rooms with hangovers in 2006, according to a new survey by Teletext Holidays today.
Those who have pounds 100,000 to fritter away can hire him.
DEJECTED Blackpool manager Steve McMahon saw his side fritter away a 2-0 lead.
Much above that figure, and your fund will stray from the index and fritter away your returns.
The 14,200 crowd saw Wales fritter away chances, while the width of the crossbar, and another superb show by the 38-year-old Southall, saved their bacon at the other end.
Sadly, it's more like business as usual in the free-wheeling, double-dealing realm of government contracting, where companies often straddle the public and private sectors to maximize profits from both, and fritter away taxpayers' money on expenses that would give even William Sessions pause.
YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS WEE THINKER ACROSS: 7 Chateau 9 Nymph 10 Debit 11 Tresses 12 Tar 13 A la carte 16 Ladybird 17 Nip 19 Cordial 21 Exact 22 Laura 23 Trivial DOWN: 1 Acidity 2 Canberra 3 Cert 4 On demand 5 Emus 6 Chess 8 Ultraviolet 13 Atypical 14 Tanzania 15 Spatula 18 Scale 20 Rout 21 Erie QUICKIE ACROSS: 1 Prospective 8 Boo 9 Ace 11 On board 12 Mushy 13 Rye 14 Toe 15 Fitness 17 Dub 19 Peep 21 Rant 23 Scar 25 Year 27 Rib 29 Kestrel 31 Arm 34 Sty 36 Sooty 37 Restore 38 Too 39 Far 40 Fritter away DOWN: 1 Pony 2 Robe 3 Station 4 Ending 5 Times 6 Vast 7 Echo 8 Bored 10 Eye up 16 Spa 18 Bra 20 Err 22 Ark 24 Chelsea 25 Yeast 26 Starve 28 Buyer 30 Egypt 32 Roof 33 Moor 34 Sofa 35 Tray
RUGBY LEAGUE: Wigan coach Brian Noble expressed sympathy for his old club Bradford after watching them fritter away a 30-6 lead in the first Super League elimination play-off at Odsal.
UK holidaymakers will fritter away 365,366 weeks languishing in hotel rooms with hangovers in 2006, says a survey.
8Da YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS WEE THINKER ACROSS: 7 Plovers 9 Etude 10 Inter 11 Larches 12 Ova 13 Misspent 16 Thirteen 17 Toe 19 Talents 21 Licit 22 Roved 23 Nominee DOWN: 1 Epsilon 2 Footpath 3 Near 4 Terrapin 5 Lush 6 Tense 8 Salesperson 13 Marinade 14 Noticing 15 Weather 18 Storm 20 Love 21 Lamb QUICKIE ACROSS: 1 Fritter away 8 Ale 9 New 11 Send off 12 Title 13 Sat 14 Ill 15 Concert 17 Tar 19 Each 21 Alec 23 Heat 25 Sumo 27 Elm 29 Oppress 31 Add 34 Bus 36 Drama 37 Blemish 38 Yam 39 Key 40 Belly dancer DOWN: 1 Flea 2 Rent 3 Twosome 4 Effect 5 Alter 6 Anti 7 Yell 8 Asset 10 Welsh 16 Tea 18 Ram 20 Ate 22 Loo 24 Eastern 25 Shady 26 Bribed 28 Mushy 30 Pearl 32 Drab 33 Dame 34 Bike 35 User
FOR every pound Britons save they withdraw 52p within weeks to fritter away on impulse purchases, a survey claimed yesterday.
To allow people to fritter away their money on gambling has to be immoral and to let them get hooked on the glitz of US-style casinos is beyond the pale.