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arse around. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
arse around, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
arse around in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
arse around you have here. The definition of the word
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arse around, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Verb
arse around (third-person singular simple present arses around, present participle arsing around, simple past and past participle arsed around)
- (intransitive, slang) To behave in a clownish, irresponsible or inefficient manner.
Quit arsing around and get to work!
1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 12: Cyclops]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, , →OCLC, part II , page 299:Gob, he’s not as green as he’s cabbagelooking. Arsing around from one pub to another, leaving it to your honour, with old Giltrap’s dog and getting fed up by the ratepayers and corporators.
1944, Nevil Shute, chapter 2, in Pastoral, London: Pan Books, published 1964:[…] up in London you arse around and go to the local and meet the boys and perhaps take in a flick, and then when you go to bed you find you’ve spent a quid and wonder where in hell it went and what you got for it.