babysit (an adult)

Watching someone else's child while the parents are away is called "babysitting".

When you use the word "babysit" to talk about an adult, though, it's a little insulting. It means that you have to watch the adult for some reason like:

  • making sure that the person doesn't make a mistake in their job
  • making sure that a socially awkward friend or partner is having fun at a party

People say things like:

I don't have time to babysit you. Figure it out on your own!

This phrase appears in these lessons: