fiddle with
English edit
Verb edit
fiddle with (third-person singular simple present fiddles with, present participle fiddling with, simple past and past participle fiddled with)
- To manipulate an object, especially in a nervous or restless manner.
- To adjust the position, as of an electronic device, in order to provide better reception or signal.
- 2000, Paul Scherz, Practical electronics for inventors, page 452:
- Fiddle with vertical VOLT/DIV knob until signal comes into view.
- 2007, Sheryl J. Anderson, Killer Riff, page 49:
- As technology got better, he'd go back and fiddle with them, convinced he could clean them up enough for release.
- (figuratively) To manipulate in order to gain something for oneself.
- 2004, Jay P. DeCima, Start Small, Profit Big in Real Estate, page 65:
- Don't Fiddle With Sellers Who Have No Equity
- (slang) To masturbate.
- 2006 May 9, Penn Jillette, Michael Goudeau, quoting Chris, 22:22 from the start, in Penn Radio[1]:
- I was in the Woodley Park–Zoo in D.C. and mom and sister were waiting to see the pandas, so me and my pops broke away to check out the monkey house. Well, there was a beautiful teacher, I mean we're talking a ten, she was blond, had a low-cut dress on, just gorgeous. And she has about eight or nine students and she's pointing out all the different monkeys. And me and my dad noticed this huge orangutan kind of fiddling with himself. And on close [censored] And we kept checking it out and he was looking directly at the teacher. Well, a couple minutes passed by [censored] he proceeds to [censored] that's when the teacher noticed and, you know, took the kids away very hurriedly. But I looked at my dad and said, you know, they're so much like us.
Synonyms edit
- (to manipulate an object restlessly): play with, toy with
- (to adjust the position): tweak, adjust, tinker
- (to manipulate in order to gain something): mess with
Translations edit
to restlessly toy with
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