monkey around vs potter

monkey around is not a noun while potter is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
monkey around	No	No	Yes	No
potter	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, monkey around and potter are synonyms defined as:

monkey around and potter: do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly

Other synonyms of monkey around include mess around, monkey, muck about, muck around, putter, tinker.

monkey around (noun)	potter (noun)
	a craftsman who shapes pottery on a potter's wheel and bakes them in a kiln

monkey around (verb)	potter (verb)
do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly	move around aimlessly
	do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly
	work lightly