verb (gerund/present participle), noun, adjective
mexendo, manipulando, rabiscando; fraude, trapaça
1. The act of playing a fiddle or violin, especially in a casual or unskilled manner
He spent the afternoon fiddling with his violin.
Ele passou a tarde mexendo no seu violino.
2. To make small adjustments or repairs to something; to tinker
Stop fiddling with the remote control!
Pare de mexer no controle remoto!
3. To move one's fingers restlessly or nervously
She was fiddling with her hair during the interview.
Ela estava mexendo no cabelo durante a entrevista.
4. Dishonest manipulation or fraud, especially with accounts or figures
The accountant was arrested for fiddling the books.
O contador foi preso por falsificar os registros contábeis.
5. Trivial or petty in nature (adjective form)
That's a fiddling amount of money compared to the budget.
Isso é uma quantia insignificante comparada ao orçamento.
In American English, 'fiddling' carries both innocent and dishonest connotations depending on context. In Brazilian Portuguese, 'mexendo' is the most common equivalent for the innocent sense, while 'fraude' or 'manipulação' is used for fraudulent activities. The word reflects cultural attitudes toward both fidgeting (seen as nervous or distracted) and financial dishonesty (viewed seriously in professional contexts).
NYC Slang
messing with, twiddling, mucking around
Related Idioms & Phrases
fiddling while Rome burns - ignoring major problems while focusing on trivial matters
fiddling around - wasting time on unimportant activities
cooking the books / fiddling the accounts - manipulating financial records dishonestly
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