Toy with sth

Question

Hi.I came across the phrase toy with sth which means to move and touch an object without any specific intention.Such as key, food or anything else.Ex. Please stop toying with your food. He was toying with keys.I wonder if play can be used in the above context, I personally use play. I want to know which one is more common in everyday English.Ex. Stop playing/toying with your food.Thanks

JohnParis · Accepted Answer

Hi Hrsanei,

For the most part, they are interchangeable.

However, yesterday I was accused of sounding like a snob because I chose one word (actually it was a contraction) over another. Some would say that "stop toying with your food" or "stop toying with your keys" sounds snobby. I disagree. When I see "toying with your keys", a very clear image comes to mind. "Playing with your keys" is much less precise.

"Toying" is often associated with emotions. "Stop toying with my emotions" is a very intimate and serious thing adults would say to each other. You could say, "playing" but it would have less impact.

It's a question of what sort of English you wish to speak.

Hope this helps.

John

Hrsanei · Answer

Thank you very much John for your helpful response.

Toy with sth

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