Idiom:to pal around (with) (used as a verb)
First Example:
Christina: Have you seen Jackie lately?
Beatrice: No, she seems to spend all her time with Tim.
Christina: They do seem to spend a lot of time together. Do you think they're dating?
Beatrice: No, they've been palling aroundtogether for years. They're best friends.
Christina: Ahh, that makes sense.
Meaning: The expression "to pal around (with)" means to spend time doing things you enjoy with a friend. In the example above, Jackie and Tim are best friends according to Beatrice, saying they've been "palling around together for years" to emphasize that they often spend time together (and are not romantically involved). Notice that in this example, Beatrice did not use "with;" "with" is only used when a person is the object of the expression, as in the next example:
Second Example:
Daniel: Hey, want to hang out this weekend
Jennifer: I can't; I have plans with Kelly.
Daniel: You've been palling around with her a lot lately.
Jennifer: Yeah, we just realized we have a lot in common. This weekend, we're going to a music festival. Want to go with?
Daniel: Nah, I can't stand being around that many people. But have fun!
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