screw off

Related to screw off: screw over

screw off

To engage in aimless recreation or frivolous time-wasting; to mess around. Quit screwing off with those video games and work on your book report already! The employees were all just milling around the office screwing off until the boss showed up.
See also: off, screw
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

screw off

Inf. to waste time. Stop screwing off and get busy! I'm not screwing off. This is my lunch hour.
See also: off, screw
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • goof off
  • horse around
  • goof around
  • fool away
  • futz with
  • futz with (something)
References in periodicals archive
Implant of #37 area shows the broken abutment screw off the implant fixture inside.
Two workers try to back the screw off, but it won't budge.
If you decide to rent, plan to tack up all the drywall with as few nails as possible, then screw off all the rock at the same time to save rental fees.
He noted how important it is that store personnel lose that "typical 'clerk edge' to their voice; it says, 'Screw off, customer."'
* Edinburgh, Scotland, where even the hecklers are civilized: 'Screw off back to America, yank.' 'Excuse me?' 'Sorry, mate, plod on with your interminable presentation, then.'
They screw off. They've got their Wednesday afternoon golf and their long weekends."
I then cut the screw off so that just the head was protruding from the bottom of the barrel and placed a bit of marking agent on the screw head and carefully lowered the top metal into position into the sock.
Tiny as it is, this torch gives a great light but the thing we love about it most is you can screw off the top and use it as a free-standing candle.
Then back the screw off until the safety moves freely.
Screw off the head, pour your washing-up liquid into the handle of the brush, screw the head back on, and then when washing, press a button on the handle to release a little liquid at a time.
Turn the trigger-engagement screw a t the front end of the trigger until the sear releases, then back the screw off one-half turn.
Tiny as it is, this torch gives a great light - both beam and flood - but the thing we love about it most is that you can screw off the top (which then becomes a base) and use the torch in freestanding candle mode.