monkey around (with something)
- monkey around (with something)
mess around (with something) & mess about (withsomething) & monkey around (with something)
1. to play with or fiddle with something idly and with no good purpose. •
Don't mess around with the ashtray.
•
You'll break it if you don't stop messing about with it.
2. to experiment with something; to use and learn about something. •
We had been messing about with some new video techniques when we made our discovery.
•
The people in this lab are messing around with all kinds of polymers.
Dictionary of American idioms.
2013.
Look at other dictionaries:
monkey (around) with (something) — to adjust something. It seems like any time they monkey with taxes, wealthy people benefit the most. Usage notes: usually said about an effort to fix or improve something, especially an effort that does not succeed … New idioms dictionary
monkey around with something — Go to Mess around (with something) … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
mess around (with something) mess about (with something); — AND monkey around (with something) in. to play with or fiddle with something. □ Don’t mess around with the ashtray. □ You’ l l break it if you don’t stop monkeying around with it … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
monkey\ around — • fool around • mess around • play around • monkey around v informal 1. To spend time playing, fooling, or joking instead of being serious or working; waste time. If you go to college, you must work, not fool around. The boys fooled around all… … Словарь американских идиом
monkey around — verb do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly The old lady is usually mucking about in her little house • Syn: ↑putter, ↑mess around, ↑potter, ↑tinker, ↑monkey, ↑muck about, ↑muck around … Useful english dictionary
monkey with — TAMPER WITH, fiddle with, interfere with, meddle with, tinker with, play with; informal mess with; Brit. informal muck about/around with. → monkey * * * monkey with [phrasal verb] monkey with (something) informal : to handle or play wit … Useful english dictionary
monkey — 1 noun (C) 1 ANIMAL a small brown animal with a long tail, which uses its hands to climb trees and lives in hot countries 2 CHILD informal a small child who is very active and likes to play tricks: Stop that, you little monkey! 3 monkey business… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
monkey — mon|key1 [ˈmʌŋki] n [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: Probably from Low German] 1.) a small brown animal with a long tail, which uses its hands to climb trees and lives in hot countries 2.) informal a small child who is very active and likes to play… … Dictionary of contemporary English
monkey-fart — AND fiddle fart in. to waste time; to do something ineffectually or inefficiently. (A blend of monkey around and fart around.) □ Stop monkey farting and get over here and get to work. □ He spent the day fiddle farting with his motorcycle … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
fool around — or[mess around] or[play around] or[monkey around] {v.}, {informal} 1. To spend time playing, fooling, or joking instead of being serious or working; waste time. * /If you go to college, you must work, not fool around./ * /The boys fooled around… … Dictionary of American idioms
fool around — or[mess around] or[play around] or[monkey around] {v.}, {informal} 1. To spend time playing, fooling, or joking instead of being serious or working; waste time. * /If you go to college, you must work, not fool around./ * /The boys fooled around… … Dictionary of American idioms
