wait around

English

Verb

wait around (third-person singular simple present waits around, present participle waiting around, simple past and past participle waited around)

1. (intransitive, idiomatic) To spend an especially lengthy period of time inactively, while expecting the arrival of someone or while anticipating some other event, often impatiently and often without a satisfactory outcome.
   • 1911 October, Edith Wharton, chapter VI, in Ethan Frome (The Scribner Library; SL8), New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 110:

     Looks as if we were all sold out. But if you'll wait around till the old man comes along maybe he can put his hand on it.

   • 1960 October 31, “United Nations: Last Words”, in Time, retrieved 18 February 2020:

     "A terrible organization!" said Nikita Khrushchev, all but shuddering at the memory. "If you could see how the delegates behave! […] . They do not participate in work, but just sit there and wait around in case there's any voting."

   • 1993 November 14, William Glaberson, “Waiting for The Post to Call”, in New York Times, retrieved 18 February 2020:

     "In the beginning, I was waiting around by the phone," he said. "Then I got myself an answering machine."

   • 2007 September 21, Charlotte Chandler, “Great interviews of the 20th century (Mae West, 1979)”, in Guardian, UK, retrieved 18 February 2020:

     "Too many women wait around depending on men to bring them happiness. I didn't depend on men for mine."