muck about/around

muck about/around
(Brit. informal)
1 he was mucking about with his mates: FOOL ABOUT/AROUND, play about/around, clown about/around, footle about/around; informal mess about/around, horse about/around, lark (about/around).
2 someone's been mucking about with the video: INTERFERE, fiddle (about/around), play about/around, tamper, meddle, tinker; informal mess (about/around).
→ muck

* * *

chiefly Brit., informal behave in a silly or aimless way, esp. by wasting time when serious activity is expected

he spent his summers mucking about in boats

■ muck about/around with spoil (something) by interfering with it

they did not want designers mucking about with their newspapers

* * *

muck about/around [phrasal verb]
Brit informal
1 : to spend time doing things that are not useful or serious : to waste time

We just mucked about [=messed around] all afternoon.

2 muck about/around with (something) : to use or do (something) in a way that is not very serious

She spent the evening mucking around with [=fooling around with] the computer.

3 muck (someone) about/around : to be unfair or dishonest with (someone) : to lie to or cheat (someone)

I want them to stop mucking me around.

He's tired of being mucked about. [=(US) jerked around]

• • •
Main Entry: ↑muck

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • muck about / around — Verb. 1. To mess around, or fool about. Informal 2. To idle away time. E.g. Are you mucking about up there, or tidying your bedroom? …   English slang and colloquialisms

  • muck about/around — Brit. informal behave in a silly or aimless way. → muck …   English new terms dictionary

  • muck about/around with something — spoil something by interfering with it. → muck …   English new terms dictionary

  • mess about/around — POTTER ABOUT, pass the time, fiddle about/around, footle about/around, play about/around, fool about/around; fidget, toy, trifle, tamper, tinker, interfere, meddle, monkey (about/around); informal piddle about/ …   Useful english dictionary

  • monkey about/around — FOOL ABOUT/AROUND, play about/around, clown about/around, footle about/around; informal mess about/around, horse about/around, lark (about/around); Brit. informal muck about/around. → monkey …   Useful english dictionary

  • mess about/around — Syn: potter about, fiddle about/around, footle about/around, play about/around, fool about/around, fidget, toy, trifle, tamper, tinker, interfere, meddle, monkey (about/around); Brit.; informal muck about/around …   Synonyms and antonyms dictionary

  • potter about/around — DO NOTHING MUCH, fiddle about/around, footle about/around; informal mess about/around; Brit. informal muck about/around; N. Amer. informal putter about/around, lollygag. → potter …   Useful english dictionary

  • muck somebody around — ˌmuck sb aˈbout/aˈround derived (BrE, informal) to treat sb badly, especially by changing your mind a lot, or by not being honest Syn: ↑mess somebody about • They ve really mucked us …   Useful english dictionary

  • muck about — phrasal verb muck about or muck around Word forms muck about : present tense I/you/we/they muck about he/she/it mucks about present participle mucking about past tense mucked about past participle mucked about British informal 1) [intransitive]… …   English dictionary

  • muck about — v. (colloq.) (BE) to muck about with ( to mess around with ) * * * [ mʌkə baʊt] (colloq.) (BE) to muck about with ( to mess around with ) …   Combinatory dictionary

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