fiddle away

phr.v. to spend time doing small, unimportant things instead of working.

phr.v. to squander time on trivial or unproductive activities. Transitive when used with 'time' or 'the afternoon' as an object; often implies a lack of focus.

“He fiddled away the whole morning looking at social media instead of writing.”

“Rather than addressing the urgent budget deficit, the committee fiddled away several hours debating the aesthetics of the new office stationery.”

Informal

phr.v. to play a violin (fiddle) in a relaxed or aimless way for a long time.

phr.v. to play the fiddle or violin in an idle, continuous, or improvisational manner. Intransitive in this sense.

“The old man sat on the porch and fiddled away until the sun went down.”

“The street performer fiddled away to the indifferent crowds, his melodies lost in the cacophony of the evening rush hour.”

Informal · Literary