fanny around

fanny around

1. To waste time or procrastinate by doing something unproductive or unhelpful; to fool around or spend time idly. Primarily heard in UK. Would you quit fannying around and give me a hand cleaning the house? I should have started this essay last week, but I've been fannying around with my new video game console.
2. To wander around a place, especially in an aimless or meandering manner. Primarily heard in UK. After I quit my job, I spent six months fannying around Paris.
See also: around, fanny
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • any time means no time
  • any time
  • anytime
  • (it's) (a)bout time
  • about time
  • at all hours
  • at all hours (of the day and night)
  • about time too
  • any old time
  • ahead of (someone's or something's) time
References in periodicals archive
So off we toddle, to whichever garden centre is currently doing the best cake, to buy bulbs and/or summer bedding and, while Pete digs, sweeps and leaf-collects, as per usual, I fanny around, creating artfully themed pots.
THIS MUCH I KNOW OPINION
Oh no, they fanny around folding up the notes and receipts before popping them carefully into their purse and then into their bag.
thelast word
He said: "Let's not fanny around, we were hopeless.
KNOCKED OUT IN 38 SECONDS; Strugglers too good for Wolves
He fumed: "Let's not fanny around, we were hopeless.
Wolves 0 Plymouth 1; Coca Cola FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP ..
ITV can fanny around with formats but they should bite the bullet and get them back."
EVANS UNLEASHED; -I was bored with TV..now I love it again -Axing Richard & Judy was 'a road crash' -I want to buy my own television channel
Because every country needs one - a defender whose sole ambition is to defend, not fanny around on the ball like some primped peacock, all flicks and fancy touches but with a bottle that turns to porridge in the heat of battle.
Macca: 'Mad Dog' Keown can be Sven's best friend