twiddle your thumbs

twiddle your thumbs
1) to do nothing and feel impatient because you are waiting for something to happen

There's no point in sitting here twiddling our thumbs.

2) to hold your hands together and move your thumbs around each other because you have nothing else to do

English dictionary. 2014.

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  • twiddle your thumbs — twiddle (your) thumbs to do nothing. Dan spent a whole day twiddling his thumbs, waiting for a package to be delivered …   New idioms dictionary

  • twiddle your thumbs — …   Useful english dictionary

  • twiddle thumbs — twiddle (your) thumbs to do nothing. Dan spent a whole day twiddling his thumbs, waiting for a package to be delivered …   New idioms dictionary

  • twiddle — twid|dle [ twıdl ] verb 1. ) transitive to turn a switch on a piece of equipment or a machine: He twiddled the radio dial until he found a news program. 2. ) intransitive or transitive to twist or turn something in a bored or nervous way: She… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • twiddle — 1 verb (T) 1 also twiddle with to move or turn something around with your fingers many times, especially because you are bored 2 twiddle your thumbs informal a) to do nothing while you are waiting for something to happen b) to join your fingers… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • twiddle — twid|dle [ˈtwıdl] v [I and T] [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: Probably copying the action] 1.) twiddle your thumbs informal to do nothing while you are waiting for something to happen ▪ Let s go there s no point in sitting here twiddling our thumbs.… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • twiddle — UK [ˈtwɪd(ə)l] / US verb Word forms twiddle : present tense I/you/we/they twiddle he/she/it twiddles present participle twiddling past tense twiddled past participle twiddled 1) [intransitive/transitive] to twist or turn something in a bored or… …   English dictionary

  • twiddle — [[t]twɪ̱d(ə)l[/t]] twiddles, twiddling, twiddled 1) VERB If you twiddle something, you twist it or turn it quickly with your fingers. [V n] He twiddled a knob on the dashboard... [V with n] She had sat there twiddling nervously with the clasp of… …   English dictionary

  • twiddle one's thumbs — {v. phr.} To do nothing; be idle. * /I d rather work than stand around here twiddling my thumbs./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • twiddle one's thumbs — {v. phr.} To do nothing; be idle. * /I d rather work than stand around here twiddling my thumbs./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

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