help (sb) out

phrasal verb with help UK /help/ US /help/verb

B2

If you help out, you do apart of someone's work or give someone money:

Her parents helped (her) out with a 500 loan.

Ms ejemplos

I don't mind helping them out, but I can't help feeling a bit put-upon.

Thanks for helping me out with thatreport - you saved my life!

They promised that they would helpout.

Paul helped his elderly neighbour out by clearing snow from her path.

In his closing remarks, the chairmanthanked everyone who had helpedout.

help (someone) out

phrasal verb with help US /help/ verb

to do work for someone orprovide the person with something that is needed:
Blair helps us out at the store when were busy.
We can help out by giving money to the Red Cross.

help out
phrasal verb If you help someone out, you help them by doing some work for them or by lending
them some money.
I help out with the secretarial work...
V P with n
All these presents came to more money than I had, and my mother had to help me out...
VnP
He thought you'd been brought in from Toronto to help out the local police.
V P n (not pron), Also V P

ask around
phrasal verb with ask UK /sk/ US /sk/verb

to ask a lot of different peoplein order to get information, learn something or help:
Our babysitter's just moved away, so we're asking around for areplacement.

ask around

phrasal verb

in BRIT, also use ask round

If you ask around

or ask round, you ask several people a question.

Ask around to see what others living in your area think about their doctors.

VP

boss around someone

INFML

phrasal verb with boss verb

to tell someone what to do:

She waved her friend over as if bossing around a maid.
verb If you say that someone bosses you, you mean that they keep telling you what to do in a way that is
irritating. (=order around)
We cannot boss them into doing more...
`You are not to boss me!' she shouted.

V n prep/adv
Vn

Boss around, or in British English boss about, means the same as boss., phrasal verb
He started bossing people around and I didn't like what was happening.

V n P, Also V P n (not pron)

bum around(somewhere)
INFORMAL UK ALSO bum about (somewhere)

phrasal verb with bum UK /bm/ US /bm/verb [ T ] -mm- SLANG

to travel around in differentplaces or in a particular area, with no plans, no job,

and littlemoney:
After college she spent a yearbumming around Europe.

bum around
INFORMAL

phrasal verb with bum UK /bm/ US /bm/verb [ T ] -mm- SLANG

to spend time being lazy and doing very little:

I wish you'd stop bumming around and start looking for a job.

shop around
phrasal verb with shop UK /p/ US /p/verb -pp-

to compare the price andquality of the same or a similarobject in

different shops before you decide which one to buy:

When you're buying a flight, you should always shop around for thebest deal.
shop around

phrasal verb If you shop around , you go to different shops or companies in order to

compare the prices and quality of goods or services before you decide to buy them.
Prices may vary so it's well worth shopping around before you buy...
He shopped around for a firm that would be flexible.

VP

V P for n

fiddle around
DISAPPROVING UK ALSO fiddle about

phrasal verb with fiddle UK /fd.l/ US /fd.l/verb

to spend time doing small things that are not important ornecessary:
I was just fiddling around in thekitchen.

fiddle around
phrasal verb with fiddle US /fdl/ verb

[ I always + adv/prep ]

to take part in activity that doesn't achieve anything, esp. when

this annoys someone:
The legislature has fiddled around while our schools are falling apart.
I wish theyd quit fiddling around with the tax law (= changing it withoutimproving it).
fiddle around
in BRIT, also use fiddle about
1

phrasal verb If you fiddle around or fiddle about with a machine, you do things to it to try and make it
work.
(=tinker)
Two of them got out to fiddle around with the engine.
V P with n, Also V P
phrasal verb If you say that someone is fiddling around with or fiddling about with something, you mean that
they are changing it in a way that you disapprove of., (disapproval) Right now in Congress, they're fiddling around
with the budget and so on...
VPPn