Twiddling Your Thumbs
Definition: To be bored; to be idle. The phrase refers to the idle habit of turning one’s thumbs around each other during periods of inactivity. It originated in the mid-nineteenth century.
Historical Reference: “You’d have all the world do nothing . . . but twiddle its thumbs,” wrote Douglas Jerrold in Mrs. Caudle’s Curtain Lectures (1846).
Synonyms:
- Killing time
- Cooling one’s heels
- Loafing around
- Sitting on one’s hands
- Fiddling about
Antonyms:
- Busy as a bee
- Hard at work
- Keeping the wheels turning
- Hustling
- On the move
Humor-filled Quotes:
“There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.” — Steven Wright
Proverbs:
- “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”
- “Idle hands are the devil’s playthings.”
Related Literature:
- Slowness by Milan Kundera
- On the Shortness of Life by Seneca
- Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. Jerome
Songs:
- “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing” by Jack Johnson
- “Time Is on My Side” by The Rolling Stones
- “Boredom” by Procol Harum
Movies:
- Office Space (1999)
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
- The Big Lebowski (1998)
Reflecting on the concept of idleness, poet John Milton aptly wrote, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” Next time you find yourself twiddling your thumbs, remember that sometimes, doing nothing can be an art form in itself.
Happy daydreaming, dear reader!
💤 Imogen Idlepoet
