muddle

Related to muddle: muddle through

muddle about

1. To move or hang about languidly, idly, or lazily. My brother was supposed to be at work, but I found him muddling about down by the river with a friend of his. Once you get the ball, you can't just muddle about behind your offensive line—you've got to act quickly, or those linebackers are going to tackle you!
2. To work or perform in a very mediocre, ineffectual, or unsuccessful manner; to fail to perform to the best of one's abilities. You were such a bright student and talented writer—it kills me to see you muddling about in some office job. The economy had a brief surge after the election, but it has been muddling about at a flat level for the last several months.
3. To dabble in something; to do something sporadically or experimentally. I've been muddling about with different writing styles, trying to find one that suits the stories I'm trying to tell. They haven't changed the core design of the car in decades, only ever muddling about with minor details like the wing mirrors or bumpers.
4. To fumble around awkwardly or clumsily. I didn't want to wake anyone up by turning on the lights, so I had to muddle about in the dark when I came home. I hate muddling about with touch screens—I miss having cell phones with actual buttons you had to press!
See also: muddle

muddle along

To attempt to proceed or continue doing something despite being unprepared or lacking the required skills, organization, resources, etc. I forgot my notes for the presentation, so I just had to muddle along off the top of my head. The company fell into disarray after the CEO was arrested, but we've been muddling along ever since.
See also: muddle

muddle around

1. To move or hang about languidly, idly, or lazily. My brother was supposed to be at work, but I found him muddling around down by the river with a friend of his. Once you get the ball, you can't just muddle around behind your offensive line—you've got to act quickly, or those linebackers are going to tackle you!
2. To work or perform in a very mediocre, ineffectual, or unsuccessful manner; to fail to perform to the best of one's abilities. You were such a bright student and talented writer—it kills me to see you muddling around in some office job. The economy had a brief surge after the election, but it has been muddling around at a flat level for the last several months.
3. To dabble in something; to do something sporadically or experimentally. I've been muddling around with different writing styles, trying to find one that suits the stories I'm trying to tell. They haven't changed the core design of the car in decades, only ever muddling around with minor details like the wing mirrors or bumpers.
4. To fumble around awkwardly or clumsily. I didn't want to wake anyone up by turning on the lights, so I had to muddle around in the dark when I came home. I hate muddling around with touch screens—I miss having cell phones with actual buttons you had to press!
See also: around, muddle

muddle on

To attempt to proceed or continue doing something despite being unprepared or lacking the required skills, organization, resources, etc. I forgot my notes for the presentation, so I just had to muddle on off the top of my head. The company fell into disarray after the CEO was arrested, but we've been muddling on ever since.
See also: muddle, on

muddle through

To manage to finish, accomplish, or progress through (something) without being properly prepared, equipped, skilled, etc. I muddled through that job interview because I was sick with a cold at the time. I didn't really understand half of what the book was talking about, but I muddled through it and hoped the lecture would help fill in the blanks. He spent most of college partying, yet he still muddled through with a C average.
See also: muddle, through

muddle up

1. To render something awkward, confusing, and disorderly; to obscure or obfuscate something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "muddle" and "up." Often used in passive constructions. The introduction of new tariffs is likely to further muddle up the already complicated relationship between the two countries. They muddled the contract up with all sorts of misleading, cryptic language. Our roles within the team have become so muddled up that we've largely given up the idea of job titles.
2. To mix something up (with something else). A noun or pronoun can be used between "muddle" and "up"; often used in passive constructions. They look so alike that I always muddle up their names when I see them. I must have muddled the data points up when I was entering them into the system.
See also: muddle, up

muddled (up)

Drunk. Do you remember last night at the bar at all? You were really muddled up!
See also: muddle
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

muddle along

to progress in confusion; to continue awkwardly. I will just have to muddle along as best I can until things get straightened out. The project muddled along until the new manager got hold of it.
See also: muddle

muddle around

to work inefficiently. I can't get anything done today. I'm just muddling around. Jed is not doing his job well. He is muddling around and getting nothing done.
See also: around, muddle

muddle something up

to mix something up; to make something confusing. You really muddled the language of this contract up. Who muddled up the wording?
See also: muddle, up

muddle through (something)

to manage to get through something awkwardly. We hadn't practiced the song enough, so we just muddled through it. We didn't know what we were meant to do, so we muddled through.
See also: muddle, through

muddled (up)

intoxicated. I've had a little too much muddler, I think. Anyway, I'm muddled. Larry is too muddled up to drive.
See also: muddle
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

muddle through

Blunder through something, manage but awkwardly, as in The choir never knows how to line up, but we muddle through somehow. [Early 1900s]
See also: muddle, through
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

muddle through

v.
To do some task poorly or without strong motivation: I forgot the cookbook, so we just muddled through the recipe without it.
See also: muddle, through
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.

muddled (up)

mod. alcohol intoxicated. I’ve had a little too much muddler, I think. Anyway, I’m muddled.
See also: muddle, up

muddled

verb
See muddled up
See also: muddle
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • muddle about
  • muddle around
  • moon about
  • moon around
  • have lead in (one's) pants
  • hang about
  • piddle around
  • loiter with intent
  • sprawl out
References in periodicals archive
Jason's material is culled from his own life and, forget muddle class, includes First World problems such as deciding to lose weight after he got stuck in a waterpark slide.
It's funny to be stuck in the muddle with you; TV comedian Jason Manford on his joy at going back to stand-up and why he'll never do a 9-5 job
Another aspect that distinguishes Muddle Class - which also features superb segments on why Disney films focusing on the death of a parent are so depressing, why his brother is suspicious of his new-found middle-class inclinations, political correctness, and speed awareness courses - is his mastery of physical comedy.
'Out of everything I do, stand-up is the job I love most' Jason Manford is returning TOWALES this weekend for more gigs as part of his latest tour. James Rampton speaks to the funnyman
D: Well, I see what you mean about our getting into muddles. That makes us say new sorts of things.
Metalanguage
Rouge Muddle a strip of orange zest in a glass, then add the gin and 2 ounces merlot.
9 fresh ways to gin up your holidays
fresh thyme leaves (optional), and ice in a cocktail shaker; muddle until pineapple is a chunky pulp.
The 5 shades of pisco: this South American spirit is the new darling behind the bar
Muddle said: "I've had runners at the festival before but I've never had a winner there - and I don't think I'll be having a winner there this time.
Veteran Muddle's big-race dream
I'd say you have indeed got yourself into a muddle but that's what happens when you lie and cheat.
I'm in a muddle over a mistress; ask anna The answer to your problems
Most of Blyton's original characters are still featured in Noddy and the Farmyard Muddle, along with some new additions which include Stumpy the Elephant and a bossy cockerel.
Noddy and the Farmyard Muddle is published today
Many adherents apparently think that the Anglican community will continue to "muddle through" as it has always done and as it seems to have done again in Great Britain following the formal acceptance of women ministers in November 1992.
Anglican report fails to heal rift
He needs the readers' help to rescue them before they are put into the Muddle machine and sent away.
Book Reviews: Children's books: Jayne Howarth recommends the latest in children's literature; Jayne Howarth
We muddle the mint with ice to release the oil." Sam recommends using a good muddler (a small baseball bat-like bar tool).
Direct from Havana
A beginning of the end of the postwar political muddle in Iraq is critical for President Bush's reelection prospects." The administration's reputation for unilateralism notwithstanding, Hughes concludes, "an apparently new U.S.
The U.S.-UN "marriage"
The reason for this was that for Keynes, policy was inevitably a muddle necessarily involving rules of thumb, pragmatism, and good sense.
Muddling through and policy analysis *
Instead, a parade of conservative news and talk show hosts, along with their hand picked commentators, throws up an endless array of smoke and mirrors calculated to muddle the issue with the illusion that the "jury is still out."
It's the media, stupid
At the Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue held recently in Mississauga, representatives from both churches greeted the muddle over the Anglican Governor General of Canada having taken communion in the Roman Catholic church with equanimity.
Churches in dialogue: talks continue with three denominations