Just equining or buttocking around

[Lynne Murphy]

>There is an equivalent verb in British use: "ass [around/about]", from 1899
>(OED).
>
>The (presumptive) variant "arse [around/about]" is cited in modern times
>from 1922 (OED).
>
>A solitary example of "arse about" however appears in the OED as "obsolete"
>[amended in the supplement], from 1664!
>
>All three apparently are in current or at least recent use.
>
>What is the relationship?
>
>-- Doug Wilson


I've not yet heard 'arse about' (or at least I haven't noticed it),
but one does hear 'fart about' a lot, which means more like 'potter
about', I think.  I've found here that 'goof off' is a completely
American expression, and it was suggested that I say 'fart about'
instead, but I just can't bring myself to use it self-referentially.

Lynne


--
M. Lynne Murphy
Lecturer in Linguistics
School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences
University of Sussex
Brighton BN1 3AN    UK
phone:  +44(0)1273-678844
fax:    +44(0)1273-671320