grab-ass n.
(US) fighting, fooling around.
 | implied in play grab-ass | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | (con. 1950) Band of Brothers 18: Knock off that grabass! | |
| Chosen Few (1966) 44: No noise, no laughing, no grab-ass under penalty of the DI’s wrath. | |
| (con. late 1940s) Tattoo (1977) 651: He quit all grabass in the barracks, pursued his job. | |
| Paco’s Story (1987) 179: There was considerable jostling and arm punching, jawing and grab-ass back and forth. |
In phrases
1. to fool around.
| Mister Roberts 430: You’ve been getting pretty smart playing grab-ass with Roberts here [...] but now you’ve gone too far. | |
| Yellow Birds 56: The children began moving along the walls, most giggling and playing grab-ass. |
2. (US) to make physical advances towards someone.
| (con. 1950) Band of Brothers 4: That’s right. Play grabass! I told you to watch the village. | |
| (con. 1940s) Admiral (1968) 356: Drunk as slobs, playing grabass with the greasy gigolos. | |
| in You Owe Yourself a Drunk (1988) 57: Those punk cops are busy playing grab-ass — they’re all queer. | |
| On the Pad 84: [W]e pick up these two broads from out of town. My buddy is up in the hotel room with the other one, and I’m stuck down in the car playing a little grab ass. | |
| Dict. of Invective (1991) 28: play grab-ass. To fondle, not necessarily the buttocks, in extended use, to fool around. | |
| Homicide (1993) 559: Boy finally gets sick of playing grabass. | |
| Pound for Pound 278: They laughed and kissed, and played some grab-ass. | |
| ‘Luck’ in ThugLit Sept./Oct. [ebook] A group of drunk dudes playing grabass. |