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twiddling thumbs

[/ˈtwɪdlɪŋ θʌmz/]
verb phrase
ficar com os polegares a rodar
1. to spend time doing nothing while waiting; to be idle or inactive
I've been twiddling my thumbs waiting for the meeting to start.
Estive a rodar os polegares enquanto esperava pela reunião começar.
2. to waste time or be unproductive
Stop twiddling your thumbs and get to work!
Deixa de estar aí sem fazer nada e vai trabalhar!
NYC Slang
hanging out doing nothing; chilling with no purpose
Synonyms
killing timesitting idledoing nothingwasting timeloafing around
Antonyms
working productivelystaying busybeing active

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ficar de braços cruzados
literally 'to have crossed arms'; more common idiomatic expression
Brazil
matar tempo
literally 'to kill time'; common colloquial expression
Portugal
estar com os polegares a rodar
direct translation; literal usage of the phrase
Portugal
ficar de mãos atadas
literally 'to have tied hands'; alternative expression for being idle

Related Idioms & Phrases

sitting on one's hands
marking time
hanging around
cooling one's heels
at a loose end
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