ENGLISH
REFERENCE

play the fool

idiom
Meaning

To behave in a foolish or comical manner.


Examples
SIMPLE

He likes to play the fool to make his friends laugh.

CONTEXTUAL

During the meeting, he decided to play the fool to avoid answering the difficult questions.

COMPLEX

Although he was a brilliant scholar, he often chose to play the fool in social settings to deflect unwanted attention from his private life.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    child's play

    Something particularly easy or simple.

  2. 02

    flannelled fool

    A cricketer (from the white flannel trousers they traditionally wear).

  3. 03

    fool around

    To engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around.

  4. 04

    fool away

    to waste, squander

  5. 05

    go play in the traffic

    To go elsewhere and feel free to engage in risky behavior; to get lost.

  6. 06

    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.

  7. 07

    hold-up play

    A play where an attacker retains possession of the ball, while the teammates can move up the field.

  8. 08

    lump of school

    [Cockney slang]fool

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