twiddle one's thumbs
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twiddle one's thumbs
verb twiddles one's thumbs · twiddling one's thumbs · twiddled one's thumbs
-
to circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored
Similar: hold one's horses, lallygag, loaf about
-
To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.
He twiddled his thumbs for almost a week while he waited for somebody to set up his computer.
Similar: sit on one's hands, bide one's time, fool around
Translations
Every language
verb to circle one's thumbs around one another
| Français | se tourner les pouces |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Däumchen drehen |
| Italiano | girarsi i pollici |
verb to wait or dawdle
| Français | se tourner les pouces |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Däumchen drehen |
| Italiano | girarsi i pollici |
| Română | freca menta, tăia frunză la câini |
| Русский | би́ть баклу́ши bítʹ baklúši, сиде́ь сложа́ ру́ки sidéʹ složá rúki |
Talk about this word "twiddle one's thumbs." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/twiddle%20one's%20thumbs. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. twiddle one's thumbs. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/twiddle%20one's%20thumbs "twiddle one's thumbs." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/twiddle%20one's%20thumbs.Cite this
@misc{twiddle_one_s_thumbs_2026,
title = {twiddle one's thumbs},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/twiddle%20one's%20thumbs},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
