potter vs monkey around

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

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

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

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

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

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

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