Acting in a disorderly or careless way; interfering with something or someone. Can also refer to eating communally, especially in military contexts.
From Old French 'mes' meaning portion of food, originally from Latin 'missus' (sent, placed). The disorder sense evolved from the idea of making a mess while eating or working.
The military 'mess hall' preserves the original meaning of eating together from a shared portion. Interestingly, 'messing around' can mean both wasting time playfully and having casual romantic encounters - context is everything!
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