play silly buggers
To act in a stupid or reckless manner.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Stop playing silly buggers and finish your work.”
“The manager told the team to stop playing silly buggers during the safety briefing.”
“Despite the gravity of the situation, the group continued to play silly buggers, much to the frustration of the project lead.”
- 01
bugger off
Go away.
- 02
child's play
Something particularly easy or simple.
- 03
go play in the traffic
To go elsewhere and feel free to engage in risky behavior; to get lost.
- 04
grandstand play
A successful play or other manoeuvre during a sporting competition in which one or more players shows off unnecessarily in order to entertain or impress the spectators.
- 05
hold-up play
A play where an attacker retains possession of the ball, while the teammates can move up the field.
- 06
play a part
To be involved in such a way to affect the outcome, to be a contributing factor.
- 07
play a role
To have an effect or influence on a situation or outcome; to contribute to something.
- 08
play all one's cards
To use all one's resources.
Last updated August 10, 2026