They spent the afternoon monkeying about in the garden.
monkeying with
Frequency:
65
%
Stop monkeying with the TV remote and just leave it alone.
monkeying off
Frequency:
45
%
He was caught monkeying off during class and got detention.
Idiomatic Expressions for monkeying
Phrase: stop monkeying with
Meaning: to stop interfering with or tampering with something
Usage: Please stop monkeying with the thermostat settings; I had it just right.