klutz around

klutz around

1. To move around (some place) in an awkward, bumbling, or clumsy manner. I thought it would be funny to teach the class while riding a unicycle, but I just spent the whole time klutzing around on it like an idiot. The waiter klutzed around the restaurant, bumping into people's tables and dropping plates of food.
2. To waste time with silly or foolish behavior. Tom, Jerry—quit klutzing around back there and get to work! The app is so janky and unresponsive. It's like the development team spent the whole time klutzing around instead of actually testing if it worked right.
3. To tinker, fiddle, or experiment with something, especially in a haphazard or improvisational manner. Tom's been out klutzing around with the old van, trying to get the engine working again. I klutzed around with different variations of the recipe until I found something that tasted just right.
See also: around, klutz
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

klutz around

Inf. to go about acting stupidly or clumsily. Stop klutzing around and get your act together. Why are you klutzing around so much?
See also: around, klutz
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • foozle
  • klutz
  • klotz
  • klutzy
  • stumblebum
  • have two left feet
  • flail around
  • lump
  • fish
  • (as) awkward as a cow on roller skates
References in periodicals archive
Copaxone's active ingredient (glatiramer acetate) resembles the structure of the basic protein of myelin--the very thing our immune system likes to snack on, which causes us to move and hurt and klutz around the way we do.