What is "mess around"

vb. 1 (context idiomatic English) To fiddle idly. 2 (context idiomatic English) To joke, kid, or play. 3 (context idiomatic English) To have a sexual relationship, especially one which is non-commital.

v. do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly; "The old lady is usually mucking about in her little house" [syn: putter, potter, tinker, monkey, monkey around, muck about, muck around]

"Mess Around", written by Atlantic Records president and founder Ahmet Ertegün under the pseudonym of A. Nugetre, or "Nuggy" was one of Ray Charles’ first hits. Ertegün claims his inspiration for writing "Mess Around" was Pete Johnson. Earlier versions of the tune, a New Orleans boogie piano riff, can be heard throughout the early 1930s and 1940s the earliest of all being " Cow Cow Blues" from Charles "Cow Cow" Davenport in 1928. Dr John has spoken about the origin of this tune on his " Dr John Teaches New Orleans Piano" series of DVDs.

The lyrics urge listeners to dance ("mess around"), along with a few other key phrases, notably the "girl with the red dress on", harkening back to " Pinetop's Boogie Woogie", the early boogie woogie classic. "Mess Around" became a big R&B charted hit when released as a single in early 1953.

"Mess Around" is a song by American alternative rock band Cage the Elephant. It was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and was released as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album Tell Me I'm Pretty on October 29, 2015. It topped the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in the United States, becoming the band's sixth overall chart-topper. In 2016, it was featured in Acura's Summer of Performance Event TV spot, "Weekends: RDX".