play around

Related to play around: playing up

play around

1. To engage in free or unstructured play. I wouldn't worry about the shouting—that's just the boys playing around.
2. To engage in aimless recreation or frivolous time-wasting; to fool around. Quit playing around and work on your book report already, Scotty! You two need to stop playing around and focus on finishing the job!
3. To tinker or fiddle with something. A: "What's that you're working on?" B: "I'm just playing around with a few of these transistors." Hey, don't play around with the thermostat—it needs to stay at 68 degrees. Grandpa's still playing around with that old radio, but I doubt he'll get it to work again.
4. To test or use something in order to learn more about it. I'm playing around with a different platform for my blog, and I can't decide if I like it or not.
5. To engage in casual or extramarital romantic or sexual activity with someone. When are you going to stop playing around with college boys and start thinking about your long-term plans? She'd suspected him of playing around with his secretary for the last few weeks.
6. To joke about something. Often used in the negative to indicate absolute seriousness. Oh, come on, Tina, we're just playing around. We didn't mean it. You guys, Mom is not playing around. She said she would ground us for a month if she caught us again.
See also: around, play
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

play around

 (with someone or something)
1. and play about (with someone or something) to play and frolic with someone or something. Kelly likes to play around with the other kids. The boys are out in the yard, playing about with the neighbor girls. Will you kids stop playing about and get busy? Stop playing around and get busy!
2. Euph. to have a romantic or sexual affair with someone or persons in general. Kelly found out that her husband had been playing around with Susan. I can't believe that Roger is playing around!
See also: around, play
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

play around

Act playfully or irresponsibly, especially in having a casual or extramarital sexual relationship. For example, She got tired of his playing around and filed for divorce. [1920s]
See also: around, play
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

play around

v.
1. To engage in frivolous or idle activity; goof off: Stop playing around and get to work.
2. play around with To manipulate or work with something without a clear sense of method: We played around with the old television set, trying to see if we could make it work.
3. Slang To engage in romantic or sexual relations with someone; fool around: I think those two are playing around. Who is he playing around with now?
See also: around, play
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.

play around

verb
See play around with someone
See also: around, play
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • battle
  • battle with (someone or something)
  • kill
  • kill (an amount of time)
  • kill time, a couple of hours, etc.
  • some people (just) don't know when to give up
  • some people (just) don't know when to quit
References in periodicals archive
Her second, much more passionate encounter is with a girl her own age who then begins to play around with the brother.
Pool of desires
"Sometimes, to discover something really new," says Griessen, "you just have to play around."
Thin-film mirror changes into a window
Its our sincere hope that the Justice Department and the government won't play around with this case, and the grand jury will do what the other jury was not able to do."
King litigation may spur healing or unrest
While they are a classic, you can play around with them.
Stripes rule
Last season, the club couldn't play around a quarter of its home games due to the condition of the pitch and floodlighting.
Pitching in with cash
On the LP front, a comp called Tower 13 has been gettin' a lot of play around these parts.
Notes from the underground
Mr Lloyd, who has played 21 years with the London Philarmonia, said: "I play around the world.
pounds 20,000 viola theft
Still, this isn't the time to play around with your diet.
ADVICE FOR DANCERS
POLICE are warning youngsters not to play around sewage treatment works after a potentially dangerous incident in Southam.
'No play' alert on sewage works
For years, von Trier's been billed as an enfant terrible, but this reputation isn't based solely on prima donna behavior: his control-freak impulses and myriad phobias are those of a latter-day auteur who specializes in the kind of films that play around the edges of genre movies.
Heaven's weight
I play around once or twice a week even if I should cut down because I burn too much when I play.
Mikael Daez: Keeping it cool and simple
I reckon women everywhere are appalled by the spate of affairs involving so-called alpha males - men who think they have a right to play around and flout their marriage vows.
Playing the power game
"People who play around in the river are playing with their lives."
Stupid yobs' river prank