1 B2 idiomatic informal
To waste time or act in an aimless, unproductive way.
"Stop fannying about and help me carry these boxes!"
fanny about
B2 informal intransitive
To waste time doing nothing useful or to act in a foolish, disorganised way. (British English, mildly vulgar)
In plain English
To waste time and not get anything done.
What does "fanny about" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To handle something in an unnecessarily complicated or clumsy manner.
"He spent an hour fannying about with the router settings instead of just resetting it."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move one's backside around aimlessly — 'fanny' in British slang refers to the buttocks (female genitals in cruder usage).
Actually means
To waste time and not get anything done.
Usage tip
British English. Can be mildly offensive depending on audience, as 'fanny' has a vulgar meaning in British slang. Often used to express frustration at someone's inefficiency. Not used in American English.
Words that pair with "fanny about"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
stop time around all day instead of working
How to conjugate "fanny about"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
fanny about
I/you/we/they
3rd person
fannies about
he/she/it
Past simple
fannied about
yesterday
Past participle
fannied about
have + pp
-ing form
fannying about
continuous
Hear "fanny about" in the wild
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