to fiddle
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To manipulate accounts, etc., to one's own advantage, or to the advantage of the parties concerned. "He fiddled it,'* might indicate that he covered up a deficiency in the accounts.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to fiddle” mean?
To manipulate accounts, etc., to one's own advantage, or to the advantage of the parties concerned. "He fiddled it,'* might indicate that he covered up a deficiency in the accounts.
Is “to fiddle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.