to arse around
1
9.9
- phrasal verb
- /ɑːs əˈraʊnd/
- Offensive
:
perder el tiempo
- Stop arsing around and help me with this assignment.
Examples
-
Stop arsing around and get to work!
-
If you arse around all day, you'll never finish your work.
-
They were arsing around in the hallway after class and nearly got caught.
-
He always arses around instead of studying.
-
He spent the whole afternoon arseing around instead of studying for his exams.
-
Instead of working on the project, they were just arseing around in the office.
-
Stop arseing around and get to work on your assignment.
Synonyms
350
1.1
To spend time sitting and doing very little without a clear purpose
233
1.8
To behave in a silly, playful way and waste time
75
9.9
To waste time or act carelessly
46
3.6
Act in a silly, playful way instead of working
43
3.7
To spend time doing nothing useful
11
7.0
To spend time doing small, not important jobs in a relaxed way
7
6.2
To spend time doing little or nothing instead of working
7
6.3
To play loudly and roughly in a silly way, often when it is not appropriate
6
7.2
To waste time by doing small unimportant things
5
7.0
To sit or lie in a lazy, relaxed way
5
7.9
To waste time by delaying when you should act
5
6.5
To spend time doing small, not important tasks slowly without a clear plan
4
7.3
Waste time by acting silly instead of working
3
7.9
Spend time doing very little or nothing
3
8.4
To spend time doing not important things in a relaxed way
2
9.9
To sit and do nothing instead of working
2
7.7
To spend time doing nothing useful
2
8.6
To spend time doing very little and moving around without plans
2
9.5
To waste time instead of doing the work you need
2
7.9
To waste time and effort without making progress
1
9.2
To spend time doing small unimportant things instead of working
1
8.7
To waste time doing small unimportant things
1
7.7
To spend time doing nothing and not working
1
3.4
To spend time lazily doing little or nothing
1
4.4
To spend time doing very little and relaxing
1
9.9
To waste time by behaving in a silly or unproductive way instead of working
1
9.9
To waste time instead of doing something useful
1
9.9
To waste time doing unimportant or silly things instead of doing something important
1
9.9
To waste time instead of doing something useful
1
6.5
To spend time doing nothing in a lazy way
1
6.5
To move around slowly doing small jobs in no hurry
To waste time instead of doing something useful
To spend time doing small unimportant things with no real plan
Spend time or money on unimportant things
To waste time doing small, unimportant things
To spend time on things that are not useful
To act in a silly, playful way instead of being serious
To behave lazily and avoid work or responsibility
To spend time doing very little and not do the work you should
To waste time on busy work and make no progress
Act in a silly, aimless way and waste time
To travel slowly without a clear plan
To waste time instead of working
How Idle
26
6.5
- UK
3
5.9
- Offensive
1
9.9
17
5.0
- UK
1
6.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
arse + around
The particle 'around' clearly signals aimless or unproductive movement, which gives a clue to the overall meaning, but the noun 'arse' (literal 'butt') does not transparently contribute the sense 'waste time' — its use as a pejorative verb ('to act stupidly/mess about') is colloquial and unpredictable. Because part of the meaning comes from a productive pattern (X + around = mess about) but the specific contribution of 'arse' requires idiomatic knowledge, this is partially inferable but not fully predictable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Arse around comes from a rude image of someone moving their arse around with no clear purpose, just playing or loafing instead of working. That's why it means 'to waste time' or 'behave in a silly, lazy, or aimless way'.