# fart about

CEFR C1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fart-about
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to waste time doing silly or unimportant things instead of being productive.

For teachers: to behave in a frivolous or aimless manner; to waste time on trivialities. Primarily British English, informal, and potentially offensive to some listeners.

## Examples

- Stop farting about and finish your homework.
- We spent the whole afternoon farting about in the garage instead of actually fixing the car.
- While the rest of the department worked toward the deadline, he was content to fart about with minor formatting issues that had no impact on the final report.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He is farting about his work." but "He is farting about." — this phrasal verb is usually intransitive; you do not 'fart about' a specific task, you just 'fart about' generally.

## Usage notes

- highly informal and considered mildly vulgar; avoid in professional or polite settings.
- Teaching tip: advise students that this is a British colloquialism; the American equivalent is often 'mess around' or 'fool around'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.