1. Home
2. Idioms
3. about

about

---

---

about someone or something

Inf. not to care at all about someone or something. I don't care two hoots about whether you go to the picnic or not. She doesn't give a hoot about me. Why should I care? I don't give a hang about it.

something about someone or something

something alluring or curious about someone or something. There is something about Jane. I just can't figure her out. I love Mexican food. There's just something about it.

*(up and) about

 and *up and around

out of bed and moving about. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) I'm up and about, but I'm not really wellyet. The flu put Alice into bed for three days, but she was up and around on the fourth.

See:

• (it's) about time
• a man-about-town
• about
• about (one's) business
• about (one's) ears
• about (one's) person
• about business
• about ears
• about it
• about last night...
• about person
• about time
• about time too
• About time too!
• about to
• about to (do something)
• about to do
• about-face
• about-turn
• advise (one) about
• advise about
• along about
• an about-face
• approach (one) about
• approach about
• arse about
• arse about face
• ask around about
• at about
• backward(s) about coming forward
• bandy about
• be about
• be green about the gills
• be keen about
• be kept in the dark (about something)
• be left in the dark (about something)
• be nothing (much) to write home about
• be nothing much to write home about
• be nothing to shout about
• be on about
• be on about (something)
• be potty about (something)
• be up and about
• beat about the bush
• beat around the bush
• beef about
• beef about someone/something
• Better keep still about it
• bitch about
• boast about
• bother about
• bother head about
• bother with
• brag about
• brief about
• bring about
• brood about
• bruit about
• bum about someone/something
• bustle about doing
• bustle about some place
• call about
• can't bear to think about (something)
• can't complain. and nothing to complain about
• care about
• care nothing about
• carp about
• carry about
• cast about
• cast about for
• cast around for
• caution about
• chat about
• chatter about
• chortle about
• chuckle about
• come about
• come clean about something
• come clean with someone about something
• comment about
• complain about
• concern oneself about
• confer on
• confuse about
• converse with
• correspond with
• Could I have a lift?
• counsel about
• crazy about
• crazy about, be
• crow about
• cut up about someone/something
• dart about
• dawdle about
• daydream about
• deliberate about
• differ about
• do about
• do an about-face
• Don't even think about it
• Don't worry your head about it
• doss about
• draw out
• dream about
• embarrass about
• excite about
• exercised about
• expostulate about
• faff about
• fall about the place (laughing)
• fanny about
• feel around
• feel bad
• feel somehow about
• feeling
• feud
• fiddle about (with something)
• fidget about
• fight about
• find (something) out the hard way
• fishy about the gills
• flail about
• flit about
• flutter about
• follow about
• forewarn about
• forget about
• fret about
• front off about something
• fume about
• fuss about
• gad around
• generalize about
• get about
• get the wrong idea (about someone or something)
• get wits about one
• give a fuck about someone/something
• give a shit about someone/something
• go about
• go about business
• go about with
• go into a song and dance
• go on about
• go on about someone/something
• go on and on about someone/something
• go to see a man about a dog
• gossip about
• green about the gills
• grill (someone) (about something)
• groan about
• grouse about
• grumble about
• haggle about
• hang about
• hassle about
• have (some/any) qualms about (something or someone)
• have a hunch
• have a thing about
• have about
• have doubts about
• have feelings about
• have mixed feelings about
• have one's wits about one
• have wits about
• hear about
• how about
• how about that
• How about that!
• how about that?
• How about you?
• hypothesize about
• idle about
• in reference to
• inform about
• inquire about
• it's about time
• It's about time!
• I've heard so much about you
• jabber about
• jaw about
• jest about
• just about
• keen about, be
• keen on
• keep about
• keep mum
• keep on about
• keep wits about
• kick about
• kick around
• kid about
• knock about
• know about
• know all the answers
• know as much about as a hog knows about Sunday
• know beans about
• know no more about than a frog knows about bedsheets
• know the first thing about
• know what are talking about
• lark it up
• lash about
• laugh about
• lay about one
• lay around
• laze about
• learn about
• leave (someone) in the dark (about something)
• leave around
• lie about
• litter about
• loaf about
• loll about
• long about
• look about
• lose sleep over
• mad about
• make a federal case out of
• make a fuss
• make a noise about
• make a song and dance about
• make a stink about someone/something
• make about
• make cracks about
• make no bones about
• Make no bones about it
• Make no mistake about it!
• make noises about
• make overtures about doing
• man about town
• man-about-town
• mess about
• mess about with someone
• mess around mess about
• mess around with someone
• mess around with something mess about with something
• mill around
• millstone about neck
• mislead about
• moan about
• mooch about (somewhere)
• moon about
• mope about (somewhere)
• moralize about
• move around
• move around and move about
• much ado about nothing
• mutter about
• need (something) (about) as much a fish needs a bicycle
• need (something) (about) as much as (one) needs a hole in the head
• needle about
• niggle about
• no buts (about it)
• no doubt about it
• no ifs, ands, or buts and no buts about it
• no two ways about it
• noise about
• nose about
• not about to
• not anything to write home about
• not care a hang (about something)
• not care two hoots about
• not care two pins (about something)
• not give a hang (about something)
• not give a rat's arse (about something)
• not give a shite (about something)
• not give two pins (about something)
• not know beans about
• not know beans about something
• not know shit about something
• not know the first thing about
• not something to write home about
• not think twice about
• not trouble head about
• not worth writing home about
• nothing to boast about
• nothing to write home about
• notify about
• nuts about, be
• on a (subject or activity) kick
• on about
• order about
• order someone about
• out and about
• pace around
• peer about
• pester about
• piss about
• pissed off about someone/something
• pissed off at someone/something
• play about
• play around
• poke about
• poke around
• pout about
• prattle about
• preach about
• protest about
• prowl about
• pull about
• push about
• push about in
• put about
• put it about
• putter around
• question about
• quip about
• quiz about
• raise a stink about someone/something
• rant about
• rave about
• read about
• reassure about
• religious about doing
• remind about
• reminisce about
• report about
• revolve around
• ride about
• roam about
• roll about
• ruminate about
• run about
• say a lot about
• say about
• scatter about and scatter around
• scold about
• scout about (for someone or something)
• scratch about
• see a man about a dog
• see a man about a horse
• see about
• seen better
• seen worse
• send about business
• send someone about his or her business
• serious about
• serious about someone
• set about
• set about doing
• shout about
• Shut up about it
• sigh about
• sorry about that
• sound off about something
• speak about
• speculate about
• splash about
• sprawl about
• squabble about
• squawk about
• sulk about
• swirl about
• talk about
• taunt about
• tease about
• tell (someone) a thing or two (about someone or something)
• tell about
• tell me
• tell me about it
• Tell me about it!
• That’s about the size of it
• That's about the size of it
• that's it
• theorize about
• think about
• think twice about
• thrash about
• throw (one's) weight about
• to shout about
• trouble about
• trouble head about
• trouble one's head with
• trouble oneself about
• turn around
• up and about
• up and around
• up in the air about someone/something
• update about
• waffle around
• wander about
• warn about
• We were just talking about you
• weep about
• what about
• What about it?
• What about you?
• What about?
• What do you think of that?
• whine about
• whisper about
• wild about
• wild about, be
• wobble about
• woman-about-town
• wonder about
• worry about
• worry oneself about
• write about
• write home about
• yammer about
• yap about