fiddle about
1. To play with or idly handle (something); to tinker (with something), especially ineptly or improperly. John, would you quit fiddling about with the engine and bring the car to a shop already? Mary, stop fiddling about with the hem of your dress and sit still! I find that I fiddle about with my wedding ring when I get nervous.
2. To engage in aimless recreation or frivolous time-wasting. Quit fiddling about and work on your book report already! Tom spends most of his spare time fiddling about in the workshop downstairs. Instead of working on my taxes, I just fiddled about for most of the afternoon. That was a waste.
fiddle around
1. To play with or idly handle (something); to tinker (with something), especially ineptly or improperly. John, would you quit fiddling around with that engine and bring the car to a shop already? Mary, stop fiddling around with the hem of your dress and sit still! I find that I fiddle around with my wedding ring when I get nervous.
2. To engage in aimless recreation or frivolous time-wasting with someone or something. Quit fiddling around and work on your book report already! Tom spends most of his spare time fiddling around in the workshop downstairs. Instead of working on my taxes, I just fiddled around for most of the afternoon. That was a waste.
3. To annoy or irritate someone, often by wasting their time. Quit fiddling around with me and give my book back, will you? Would you stop fiddling around with your brother? Can't you see how annoyed he's getting? This company is just fiddling around with me now. I've been on hold for over an hour!
fiddle away
To squander something, usually time. You'll have to stay up all night finishing this report because you fiddled away so much time this afternoon. Instead of working on my taxes, I just fiddled away the afternoon. That was a waste. Hey, I'm retired now—I can fiddle away my time any way I choose!
fiddle while Rome burns
To take little to no productive action during a crisis. The phrase refers to the legend of the Roman Emperor Nero playing the lyre as Rome burned down. Organizing these files is like fiddling while Rome burns—the boss won't care what they look like when he finds out we lost that big client! Climate change is upon us, and our leaders just fiddle while Rome burns. He already has lung cancer at this point, so wouldn't giving up smoking now be like fiddling while Rome burns?
fiddle with (something)
To play or tinker with something. Hey, don't fiddle with the thermostat—it needs to stay at 68 degrees. Grandpa's still fiddling with that old radio, but I doubt he'll get it to work again. I wish I hadn't started fiddling with the settings on my computer. It's all messed up now!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
fiddle around
(with someone) and fiddle about (with someone) to tease, annoy, or play with someone; to waste someone's time. All right, stop fiddling around with me and tell me how much you will give me for my car. Now it's time for all of you to quit fiddling around and get to work. Tom, you have to stop spending your time fiddling about with your friends. It's time to get serious with your studies.
fiddle around (with something)
and fiddle about (with something)to play with something; to tinker with something ineptly. My brother is outside fiddling around with his car engine. He should stop fiddling around and go out and get a job.
fiddle something away
to waste something. She fiddled the afternoon away. Don't fiddle away the afternoon. Get to work.
fiddle while Rome burns
Fig. to do nothing or something trivial while knowing that something disastrous is happening. (From a legend that the Roman emperor Nero played the lyre while Rome was burning.) The lobbyists don't seem to be doing anything to stop this tax bill. They're fiddling while Rome burns.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
fiddle while Rome burns
Occupy oneself with unimportant matters and neglect important ones during a crisis. For example, The account was falling through, but he was more worried about missing his golf game-talk about fiddling while Rome burns! This expression alludes to the legend that the Emperor Nero played his fiddle while watching the conflagration of Rome. [Mid-1600s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
fiddle while Rome burns
If someone fiddles while Rome burns, they do nothing or spend their time on unimportant things when they have very serious issues or problems to deal with. The Australian community understands the seriousness of the situation. It is the Federal Government that has been fiddling while Rome burns. Note: This expression is very variable. For example, people sometimes replace `Rome' with a different place name or other noun so that this expression is more relevant to the subject they are talking about. People talk about educational reform but while the politicians fiddle, Los Angeles and Chicago are burning and these kids' educational opportunities are going down in flames as well. Note: There is a story that the Emperor Nero set fire to Rome, and then played his lyre and sang as he watched the flames. Afterwards he denied this and blamed the Christians for the destruction.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
fiddle while Rome burns
be concerned with relatively trivial matters while ignoring the serious or disastrous events going on around you. This phrase comes from the Roman biographer and historian Suetonius' description of the behaviour of the Roman emperor Nero during the great fire that destroyed much of Rome in ad 64.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
ˌfiddle while Rome ˈburns
(saying) do nothing or waste your time when you should be dealing with a dangerous or serious situation: With the world’s population growing fast and millions getting hungrier every day, the leaders of the rich nations just seem to be fiddling while Rome burns.This phrase refers to the Roman emperor Nero, who fiddled (= played the violin) during the burning of Rome in AD 64.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
fiddle around
v. To act foolishly, playfully, or without a clear sense of purpose: If you don't stop fiddling around and start working, we'll never get home.
fiddle away
v. To waste or squander some period of time: I fiddled away the afternoon surfing the Internet. The lazy student fiddled the night away instead of doing homework.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.