fiddle

Object

figure: The government is fiddling the figures, says David Willetts.

Converse of object

• play: The space in itself plays second fiddle to the lower gallery.
• teach: Charlie McKerron usually teaches fiddle for at least one weekend a year, and last summer Marc Duff was teaching whistle.

Adjective modifier

• second: The space in itself plays second fiddle to the lower gallery.
• electric: Well, I've bought myself a new electric fiddle from eBay.
• medieval: This was probably something carried over from the medieval fiddle.
• Scottish: Lorna plays both the clarsach and the Scottish fiddle and the Smith's excellent acoustics made the most of her delightful music.

Modifies a noun

• playing: Once again we listened to her fine fiddle playing.
• tune: The 36 lessons present basic fiddling techniques by applying them to fiddle tunes.
• yard: Entry to the fiddle yard is screened off by a high level pier entrance.
• player: You don't ever hear of Dylan having been a fiddle player.
• accompaniment: Musically one of Bob's best albums in my opinion, because I like the acoustic sound and the fiddle accompaniment.
• solo: No Roses, Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band - vocals and a fiddle solo.

Modifying Another Word

about: However I do not recommend fiddling about with cars whilst they are under warranty.

Followed by an intransitive particle

around: I'm better off just fiddling around in studios.

Preposition: with

• setting: Learned even more about not fiddling with the settings.
• button: Needless to say I couldn't get machine started, and wasted five minutes fiddling with buttons to no effect.

Noun used with modifier

• bluegrass: Veteran bluegrass fiddle player Rickie Simpkins comes to group with a resume that includes the Virginia Squires, and the Tony Rice Unit.
• bass: His other brother played the bass fiddle ( or double bass ).
• folk: Sometimes the Intermediate Strings work together with the Junior Strings on different sorts of string playing such as folk fiddle and Jazz.