fiddle around
fool around
play around
monkey around
To spend time playing, fooling, or joking instead of being serious or working; waste time.
Проводить время играя, дурачась или шутя вместо того, чтобы быть серьезным или работать.
If you go to college, you must work, not fool around.
The boys fooled around all afternoon in the park.
The boy spent the morning monkeying around with the old radio.
Мальчик провел утро, забавляясь со старым радио.
Sometimes I wish that Pat would stop fooling around so much and talk about something more interesting to others.
To treat or handle carelessly.
Bob cut himself by fooling around with a sharp knife.
Suzie says she wishes John would quit playing around with the girls and get married.
The teacher got angry because her students were fooling around and couldn’t finish their work before the end of class.
To work or do something in an irregular or unplanned way; tinker.
Jimmy likes to monkey around with automobile engines.
Alice is fooling around with the piano in her spare time.
grease monkey
A person who greases or works on machinery; a mechanic or worker in a garage or gasoline station.
Hey, grease monkey, fill up my gas tank!
The grease monkey was all dirty when he came out from under the car.
Airplane mechanic.
Jack was a grease monkey in the Air Force.
make a fool of
make a clown of
make a monkey of
To make (someone) look foolish.
Выставлять кого-либо на посмешище.
The boy made a fool of himself.
Mary's classmates made a fool of her by telling her the party was to be a masquerade.
My friend made a monkey out of me when he started arguing with me in front of my boss.
Мой друг выставил меня на посмешище, когда начал спорить со мной перед моим начальником.
monkey business
Any unethical, illegitimate, or objectionable activity that is furtive or deceitful, e.g., undercover sexual advances, cheating, misuse of public funds, etc.
Обман, жульничество, надувательство, мошенничество, афера и т.д.
There is a lot of monkey business going on in that firm; you'd better watch out who you deal with!
The boy should stop the monkey business and do the job correctly.
Мальчику стоит прекратить жульничество и делать работу правильно.
Comical or silly actions; goofing off.
Комичные или глупые действия; "валяние дурака".
Come on boys, let's cut out the monkey business and get down to work!
Stop doing monkey business and start your homework!
Хватит дурачиться и начни делать свое домашнее задание!
monkey on one's back
An unsolved or nagging problem.
Иметь серьезную проблему, которая мешает преуспеть в чем-либо; иметь очень серьезные неприятности.
"My math course is a real monkey on my back," Jack complained.
Seven games without scoring a goal was a monkey on the back of the famous soccer player.
Семь игр без забивания гола были серьезной проблемой для известного футболиста.
monkey see, monkey do
Обезьянничать. Дурные примеры заразительны. Куда стадо, туда и овца.
We don’t let our son watch TV programs that show kids being rude to their elders. I know what would happen if I did: monkey see, monkey do.
Мы не разрешаем нашему сыну смотреть ТВ-программы, где дети грубо общаются со старшими. Я знаю, что случится, если он будет смотреть их: дурной пример заразителен.
more fun than a barrel of monkeys
Что-то очень веселое и развлекательное.
The TV quiz was more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
ТВ викторина просто уморительна!
not to give a monkey's
Совершенно не интересоваться чем-либо.
I don't give a monkey's how much he earns, I just don't like him.
Мне плевать, сколько он зарабатывает, он мне не нравится - и всё тут.