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diddle

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To diddle is defined as to behave in an unproductive manner or to cheat or lie about something on purpose.

(verb)

An example of diddle is when you aimlessly toss a yo-yo around because you are bored.
An example of diddle is when you lie about how much was in the shared tip jar, cheating your coworkers and keeping more for yourself.

See diddle in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb diddled, diddling

Informal to move back and forth in a jerky or rapid manner; jiggle
Slang
1. to have sexual intercourse with
2. to masturbate

Origin: dial. duddle, diddle, to totter, akin to dodder

intransitive verb

to move back and forth jerkily or rapidly

Related Forms:

diddler noun

transitive verb diddled, diddling

to cheat, swindle, or victimize
to waste (time) in trifling: often followed by away

Origin: ? after Jeremy Diddler, character in the play Raising the Wind (1803), by James Kenney: name prob. < dial. duddle, to trick, ult. < OE dyderian, to fool

intransitive verb

to waste time; dawdle

Related Forms:

diddler noun

See diddle in American Heritage Dictionary 4

transitive verb did·dled, did·dling, did·dles

Slang To cheat; swindle: “The Swiss have special laws for people who diddle hotels” (John le Carré).

Origin:

Origin: Perhaps akin to Old English dydrian, to deceive,

Origin: or from variant of dialectal doodle, fool, simpleton

Origin: ; akin to Low German dudeldopp

Related Forms:

didˈdler noun

verb did·dled, did·dling, did·dles

verb, transitive

To jerk up and down or back and forth.
Vulgar Slang
a. To have intercourse with (a woman).
b. To practice masturbation upon.

verb, intransitive

To shake rapidly; jiggle.
Slang To play experimentally; toy: The children diddled with the knobs on the television all afternoon.
Slang To waste time: diddled around all morning.

Origin:

Origin: Probably alteration of dialectal didder, to quiver, tremble

Origin: , from Middle English dideren

Origin: , variant of daderen, doderen

Origin: , perhaps from Low German

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