sit on one's hands en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
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(idiomatic) To remain idle when action is needed, perhaps because of fear, ignorance, complacency, indecisiveness, or dislike of the person(s) or situation.
"Ministers cannot continue to sit on their hands, hoping this dispute will go away. Our members are fully prepared to fight tooth-and-nail for a negotiated settlement," RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch has warned.
2023 March 8, Mel Holley, “TSSA accepts offer, but RMT sets new strike dates”, in RAIL, number 978, page 10:
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(informal) To fail to applaud when expected to.
While Boston is a "musical town," audiences here sat on their hands a good part of the time.
1946, Billboard, volume 58, number 40:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sits on one's hands | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| sat on one's hands | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| sat on one's hands | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| sitting on one's hands | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Relateds
sit on one's ass · take a stand · hand-sitter · take sitting down
Synonyms
muck about · goof around · waste time · footle · fiddle around · laze · fiddle about · laze about · arse about · horse around · dawdle · bludge · mess around · drumble · arse around · faff · diddle · bum around · fart about · faff around · tool around · dilly-dally · dick around · clown around · piddle · goof off · laze around · loaf about · lamp · fart around · loaf · hang around · dretch · idle · loiter · forslow · fanny about · lollygag · lallygag · hang out · fool around · pingle · while · cabbage · dally · linger · jerk off · mill about · mill around · tarry · fanny around · hang about · fool about · stand by · loaf around · faff about · muck around · dick about · lollop
Translations (11)
pt cruzar os braços (to remain idle when action is needed) · fi pyöritellä peukaloitaan (to remain idle when action is needed) · it stare con le mani in tasca (to remain idle when action is needed) · de (nur) dumm rumsitzen (to remain idle when action is needed) · fr rester les bras croisés (to remain idle when action is needed) · it aspettare la Madonna/lo Spirito Santo (to remain idle when action is needed) · it fare un cazzo/una sega (to remain idle when action is needed) · pl siedzieć z założonymi rękami (to remain idle when action is needed) · es mano sobre mano (after a verb; usu. estar) (to remain idle when action is needed) · es cruzarse de brazos (to remain idle when action is needed) · it scaldare la sedia (to remain idle when action is needed)