分享个实用的短语“wait around (wait about)”, 猛一看就是“在附近等”，实际上它是“无所事事地干等、空等”的意思，这里的 around 和“hang around 闲荡、徘徊”里的意思如出一辙。

wait around / wait about

干等着；空等；无所事事地等; 等一会; 呆呆地等；

【En】

To stay in the same place and do nothing while you are waiting for something to happen, someone to arrive etc.

待在一个地方，什么也不做，等待某事的发生或某人的到来。

If you wait around or wait about, you stay in the same place, usually doing very little, because you cannot act before somethinghappens or before someone arrives.

如果你wait around或wait about，你呆在原地，通常很少做什么，因为你不能在某事发生之前或在某人到来之前采取行动。

To remain in some location or state while waiting for someone to do something or for something to happen.

停留在某个位置或状态，等待某人做某事或等待某事发生。

● We'd better be going. We can't wait about like this any longer.

我们该走了。我们不能再这样等下去了。

● Movie-making involves acting for ten minutes and then waiting around for two hours.

拍电影需要表演十分钟，然后等上两个小时。

● I waited around to speak to the doctor.

我一直等着和医生说两句话。

● The attacker may have been waiting around for an opportunity to strike.

袭击者也许一直都在等待着动手的机会。

【Scenario Example 场景示例】

● We spent the whole day waiting around for something exciting to happen, but nothing did.

我们干等了一整天，指望有什么激动人心的事发生，结果什么也没有。

● He didn't wait around to wave goodbye.

他没有等着挥手告别。

● I'm waiting around the house until the doctor calls with the results of the test.

我在家里等着，直到医生打电话告诉我检查结果。

● Look, I understand that you're trying to figure out what you want to do with your life, but I'm not just going to wait around until then! I've got my own life that I want to lead.

听着，我知道你在努力想清楚你这辈子想做什么，但我不会一直等到那时候！我有自己想要过的生活。

● You can come with me if you want, but you'll be waiting around in the car most of the time while I do my errands.

如果你愿意，你可以跟我一起去，但我办事的时候，你大部分时间都得在车里等着。

● I don't want to wait around at home until you call.

我不想在家里干等着你打电话过来。

● I'll wait around for you for an hour or so. I don't want to wait around.

我会等你一个小时左右。然后我就不会再傻等了。

出处：见配图水印