clown around

present singular third person clowns around · participle present clowning around · participle past clowned around · past clowned around

1. To have fun in an irresponsible manner.

   1 more example

   While in Matliary, where Kafka stayed to recover from his tuberculosis he often confided in Robert Klopstock, one of his favorite fellow patients. Klopstock must have been deeply impressed to find that one could have long and serious discussions about Zionism, Christianity, Dostoevsky, and love to clown around and think up practical jokes with one and the same person (Stach 2013).

   2017 May 16, Jerry Stuger, “Kafka and Autism. The Undisclosed Logic Behind Kafka’s Work”, in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, volume 47, →DOI, pages 2336–2347

   Synonyms: clown about, goof around, goof off, horse around, mess about, mess around, muck about, muck around