fiddle (redirected from fiddles around)

fid·dle  (fdl)

n.

1.

a. A violin.

b. A member of the violin family.

2. Nautical A guardrail used on a table during rough weather to prevent things from slipping off.

3. Informal Nonsensical, trifling matters: "There are things that are important/beyond all this fiddle" Marianne Moore.

4. The act or an instance of cheating or swindling; a fraud.

v. fid·dled, fid·dling, fid·dles

v.intr.

1. To play a violin.

2.

a. To move one's fingers or hands in a nervous fashion.

b. To occupy oneself in an aimless or desultory way: liked to fiddle with all the knobs and dials.

c. To meddle or tamper: a reporter who fiddled with the facts.

3. To commit a fraud, especially to steal from one's employer.

v.tr.

1. To play (a tune) on a violin.

2. To cheat or swindle.

3. To alter or falsify (accounts, for example) for dishonest gain.

Phrasal Verb:

fiddle away

To waste or squander: fiddled away the morning with unnecessary tasks.

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[Middle English fidle, from Old English fithele.]

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fiddler n.

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fiddle

Noun

1. Informal or disparaging the violin

2. a violin played as a folk instrument

3. Brit & NZ informal a dishonest action or scheme

4. on the fiddle Informal engaged in an illegal or fraudulent undertaking

5. fit as a fiddle Informal in very good health

6. play second fiddle Informal to undertake a role that is less important or powerful than someone else's

Verb

[-dling, -dled]

1. to play (a tune) on the fiddle

2. Informal to do (something) by illegal or dishonest means

3. Informal to falsify (accounts)

4. fiddle with to move or touch (something) restlessly or nervously

5. fiddle about or around Informal to waste time [Old English fithele]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	fiddle - bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow violin Amati - a violin made by Nicolo Amati or a member of his family bowed stringed instrument, string - stringed instruments that are played with a bow; "the strings played superlatively well" chin rest - a rest on which a violinist can place the chin fiddlestick, violin bow - a bow used in playing the violin Guarnerius - a violin made by a member of the Guarneri family Strad, Stradavarius - a violin made by Antonio Stradivari or a member of his family
Verb	1.	fiddle - avoid (one's assigned duties); "The derelict soldier shirked his duties" shirk, shrink from, goldbrick avoid - refrain from doing something; "She refrains from calling her therapist too often"; "He should avoid publishing his wife's memories" scrimshank - British military language: avoid work malinger, skulk - avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill slack - avoid responsibilities and work, be idle
	2.	fiddle - commit fraud and steal from one's employer; "We found out that she had been fiddling for years" defalcate, embezzle, malversate, misappropriate, peculate - appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use; "The accountant embezzled thousands of dollars while working for the wealthy family"
	3.	fiddle - play the violin or fiddle music - musical activity (singing or whistling etc.); "his music was his central interest" fiddle - play on a violin; "Zuckerman fiddled that song very nicely" play - perform music on (a musical instrument); "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder?"
	4.	fiddle - play on a violin; "Zuckerman fiddled that song very nicely" music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner spiel, play - replay (as a melody); "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully" fiddle - play the violin or fiddle
	5.	fiddle - manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination; "She played nervously with her wedding ring"; "Don't fiddle with the screws"; "He played with the idea of running for the Senate" diddle, toy, play manipulate - hold something in one's hands and move it put out, retire - cause to be out on a fielding play
	6.	fiddle - play around with or alter or falsify, usually secretively or dishonestly; "Someone tampered with the documents on my desk"; "The reporter fiddle with the facts" monkey, tamper manipulate - hold something in one's hands and move it
	7.	fiddle - try to fix or mend; "Can you tinker with the T.V. set--it's not working right"; "She always fiddles with her van on the weekend" tinker fix, furbish up, mend, repair, bushel, doctor, touch on, restore - restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken; "She repaired her TV set"; "Repair my shoes please"

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fiddle

noun 1. Brit. (informal) fraud, racket, scam (slang) piece of sharp practice, fix, sting (informal) graft (informal) swindle, wangle (informal)

noun 2. (Informal) violin,

verb 3. (Informal) (often with with) fidget, play, finger, toy, tamper, trifle, mess about or around

verb 4. (Informal) (often with with) tinker, adjust, interfere, mess about or around

verb 5. (Informal) cheat, cook (informal) fix, manoeuvre (informal) graft (informal) diddle (informal) wangle (informal) gerrymander, finagle (informal)

Translations

fiddle [ˈfɪdl] n (MUS) → violín m (= cheating); trampa

vt (BRIT) [+ accounts]; falsificar;

tax fiddle → evasión f fiscal;

to work a fiddle → hacer trampa

fiddle with vt fus → juguetear con

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fiddle [ˈfɪdl] n (Mus) → violon m (= cheating); combine f; escroquerie f

vt (Brit) [+ accounts]; falsifier, maquiller;

tax fiddle → fraude fiscale, combine f pour échapper au fisc;

to work a fiddle → traficoter

fiddle with vt fus → tripoter

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fiddle [ˈfɪdl] n → Fiedel f (inf) → Geige f;

(fraud, swindle) → Schwindelei f

vt (Brit) (accounts) → frisieren (inf);

tax fiddle → Steuermanipulation f;

to work a fiddle → ein krummes Ding drehen (inf)

fiddle with fiddle vt fus → herumspielen mit

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fiddle [ˈfɪdl] n (MUS) → violino (= cheating); imbroglio; truffa

vt (BRIT) [+ accounts]; falsificare, falsare;

tax fiddle → frode f fiscale;

to work a fiddle → fare un imbroglio

fiddle with vt fus → gingillarsi con