IdiomAnimals
English
Englishmonkey around
Meaning: To play like a monkey, i.e., climb on or examine things with curiosity.
Example: “Don't monkey around with the settings on my camera.”
Origin: Monkey around emphasizes curiosity or the climbing aspect of play whereas horse around emphasizes the physical nature of play and clown around means to act silly. Fool around is the most general of these and could substitute for the other three.
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