Friend: Did you you hear Sean got detention?
You:What for?
Friend: He was acting the maggot in class.
messing around acting lazy, unfocused; not doing what you're suppose to be doing
He was in here last night acting the maggot. Ordered a bowl of soup and fell asleep in it!
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Ireland To behave in a foolish, childish, or annoying manner.
Settle down and don't act the maggot!
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Phrase originating from Limerick, Ireland. Acting the maggot means acting the fool or the idiot.
Friend 1: Did you hear about Luke last night?
Friend 2: No! What happened?
Friend 1: He got really drunk and started acting the maggot in front of everyone!
Acting like a fool or jerk for no reason.
The guy got too drunk and starting acting a maggot.
(Dublin slang, specific variant) to work in a sloppy way so as to be excused from unpleasant or unwelcome chores.
Joe said he was going to act the maggot, dropping tools and laying the beams out of whack, so the foreman wouldn't make him do over-time on the day of the semi-finals.
Acting in particularly foolish manner
Would you two stop acting the maggot and do your homework