channel surf
To frequently change channels when watching television, especially for an extended period of time. Primarily heard in US. After a long week of work, I like to just sit on the sofa and channel surf for a few hours. Here's the remote—you channel surf and see if you can find anything on TV. I channel surfed, and this dumb movie was the best thing on, unfortunately.
channel-surfing
Quickly switching between channels on a TV, as while looking for a program to watch. I'm channel-surfing, but it doesn't look like anything good is on. After a long week of work, I need a few hours of channel-surfing on the sofa. I hate channel-surfing. I can't understand why people don't just pick a program and watch it!
sidewalk surfing
The act of skateboarding, or an instance of such, especially when used as transportation rather than for doing tricks. The older people in my neighborhood give me funny looks whenever they see me out sidewalk surfing. This town is known for its sidewalk surfing. In fact, you tend to see more people going to work on skateboards than on bicycles.
surf the channels
To quickly switch between television channels, as while looking for a program to watch. I'm surfing the channels, but it doesn't look like anything good is on.
surf the net
To browse the various content of the Internet. With the ubiquity of affordable smartphones and computers, everyone from seniors to preschoolers is able to surf the net these days. I just worry that he spends too much time surfing the net alone instead of hanging out with other kids his age.
surf the web
To browse the various content of the Internet. With the ubiquity of affordable smartphones and computers, everyone from seniors to preschoolers is able to surf the web these days. I just worry that he spends too much time surfing the web alone instead of hanging out with other kids his age.
wakesurf
To ride on a short surfboard atop the wake created by a motorboat. The sport differs from wakeboarding in that the rider's feet are not strapped to the board, which is longer and narrower, and they typically ride without being towed by the boat once they are able remain upright. My cousin taught me how to wakesurf when we were out at the lake house last summer. It felt weird not having my feet strapped into to anything at first, but it was a lot more thrilling when I got the hang of it!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
channel surfing
Switching from one television station (channel) to another frequently, either to search for an interesting program or to keep track of several programs at once. For example, What did you see on TV last night?-Nothing much; I was just channel surfing. The term transfers the surfer's search for good waves to the viewer's search for programs. This practice became widespread with the use of remote-control devices for changing channels while remaining seated some distance from the television set. [1980s] A 1990s version is Internet surfing, a similar process for searching cyberspace.
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.