# idioms for doing nothing



## Dymn

Is there any set phrase in your language for someone who never works and does nothing at all?

*English*: _to not lift a finger_
*Catalan*: _no fotre brot _(lit. "to not do bud", _fotre _is colloquial/vulgar)
*Spanish*: _no dar palo al agua _(lit. "to not give stick to the water")
*Portuguese*: _não mexer uma palha _(lit. "to not move a straw")

Thanks as always!


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## TheCrociato91

*Italian*. There are quite a few, and not all of them are interchangeable (i.e. they do not all mean exactly the same thing, but they're all connected with "not doing anything"). Their use may vary according to the context (and register, of course).

- non muovere un dito (_not move a finger_, similar to the English _to not lift a finger_), used especially to mean: refuse to help someone;
- stare/starsene a guardare (_remain watching_), similar to the one above, meaning to look on without intervening, to watch from the sidelines
- starsene con le mani in mano (_remain with your hands in your hands_)
- girarsi i pollici (_twiddle one's thumbs_)
- stare a grattarsi (_remain scratching oneself_)
_- _grattarsi la pancia (informal: _scatch one's belly_)
_- _grattarsi le palle (vulgar: _scratch one's balls_)
- stare/starsene in panciolle; stare/starsene con la pancia all'aria (_stay with one's belly in the air_), meaning to laze around
- battere la fiacca, meaning to be slacking
- poltrire, meaning to laze around (as if still in bed)

There are surely more. In case you're interested, I've added some links for the expressions for which it's hardest to provide a literal translation.


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## sound shift

Dymn said:


> Is there any set phrase in your language for someone who never works and does nothing at all?
> 
> *English*: _to not lift a finger_


'Not to lift a finger' means 'not to make the slightest effort *to do something in particular*', and especially 'to do nothing *to* *help* in a particular situation', rather than 'never to do anything'.

One BrE phrase for your intended meaning is "He just loafs about".


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## nimak

In *Macedonian* and *Serbian*/*Croatian* languages there is a verb for "_doing nothing_":

*денгуби* (dengubi), *дангуби*/*dangubi* - _verb 3rd p.sg._ = _lit._ "*[he/she] day-loses*"

*ден* (den), *дан*/*dan* - _noun_ = day
*губи* / *gubi* - _verb_ = to lose


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## Yendred

In *French*:
_Avoir un poil dans la main _(t_o have one hair in one's hand_) = to be lazy
The expression conveys the idea that a lazy person makes so little use of their hand that hair can grow in it.

And we have the equivalent of the English expression _"to twiddle one's thumbs" _and Italian _"girarsi i pollici":
Se tourner les pouces = _to sit there doing nothing

And the equivalent of the Spanish "_no dar palo al agua":
Ne pas en mettre une rame (not to give any stroke of the oar)_

Another one has a more positive meaning:
_Avoir les doigts de pied en éventail (to have one's toes fanned out) = _to relax oneself lying down and doing nothing
The idea is that you are so relaxed that your toes take the shape of a fan.


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## KalAlbè

*Brazilian Portuguese*: _Coçar o saco_ = Literally to scratch one's scrotum 
*Haitian Creole*: _Sak sik_ = To be a sack of sugar - heavy and just lying there.


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## bibax

Czech:

*nehnouti prstem* _instr._ = not to move a finger;

_colloq. _*nezvednouti zadek* = not to lift [one's] bottom/butt/buttocks;

_colloq._ *váleti si šunky* = to loll (_váleti_ = to roll sth, _šunka_ = ham, rump);

*točiti mlýnek* _dim._ = to spin the mill [with thumbs];
usually combined with
*míti nohy na stole* = to have [one's] legs on the table;

*V práci měl celý den nohy na stole a točil mlýnek.* = At work he had [his] legs on the table all day long and spun the mill.
*Celý den nezvedl zadek, válel si šunky na gauči.* = He didn't lift [his] bottom all day long, he lolled on the sofa.


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## Sardokan1.0

*Italian : *

_non muovere un dito (not to move a finger)_
_non alzare un dito (not to lift a finger)_

*Sardinian : *

_no movere unu poddighe (not to move a finger)_
_si sulare sos poddighes (to blow your own fingers)_
_si pistare sos ghenujos (to beat your own knees)_
_istare a manos in culu (literally : to stay with hands in your ass = when you stay with your hands crossed on your back)_
_faghere sa brocca (literally : to do the jug = when you stay with your hands on your hips, and they look like the handles of a jug)_


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## MiguelitOOO

*Mexican Spanish*: Ser un nini (to be a nini). Very modern idiom.


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## KalAlbè

MiguelitOOO said:


> *Mexican Spanish*: Ser un nini (to be a nini). Very modern idiom.


What is a "nini"?


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## MiguelitOOO

KalAlbè said:


> What is a "nini"?


A person who neither works nor studies. Una persona que *ni *estudia *ni *trabaja = nini


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## apmoy70

Greek:

*«Δεν κουνάω ούτε το μικρό μου δαχτυλάκι»* [ðeŋ͜ guˈna.ɔ ˈu.te tɔ miˈkrɔ mu ðax.tiˈla.ci] --> _to not move even one's pinky finger_
*«Ξύνω τ' αρχίδια μου»* [ˈk͜si.nɔ tarˈçi.ðʲa mu] --> _to scratch one's balls_ 

There are also the verbs:
(A) *«Τεμπελιάζω»* [tem.beˈʎa.zɔ] (colloq.) --> _to slack off, laze_ < Ott. Turk. تنبل (tembel), _lazy_ < Pers. تنبل (tanbal), _lazy_. 
(B) *«Οκνηρεύω»* [ɔk.niˈɾe.vɔ] --> _to laze_ < Classical denominative v. *«ὀκνηρεύω» ŏknēreú̯ō* --> _to fill with reluctance, inspire doubt_, metaph. _to laze_ < Classical adj. *«ὀκνηρός, -ρά, -ρόν» ŏknērós* (masc.), *ŏknērā́* (fem.), *ŏknērón* (neut.) --> _shrinking, timid, hesitant, doubtful, arousing doubt, idle, sluggish, lazy_ (possibly from PIE *h₂onk-no- _to hang_ with cognates the Sankrit शङ्कते (śáṅkate), _to doubt, hesitate_, Lat. cunctārī, _to delay, hesitate_, Proto-Germanic *hanhaną > Eng. hang, Dt. hangen). 
(A) prevails in the vernacular, (B) is learned and rarely used.


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## alfaalfa

Ciao,
this is OT but 


TheCrociato91 said:


> grattarsi le palle (vulgar: _scratch one's balls_)


has another meaning too.


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## TheCrociato91

alfaalfa said:


> Ciao,
> this is OT but
> 
> has another meaning too.


Good point.  
A non-native speaker definitely needs to exercise caution while using this expression, not only because it's somewhat coarse but also because its meaning varies.


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## alfaalfa

A lazy worker (or student) sits only to scaldare la sedia


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## nimak

MiguelitOOO said:


> A person who neither works nor studies. Una persona que *ni *estudia *ni *trabaja = nini



Very interesting!  We can add the word *нини* (*nini*) into the *Macedonian* dictionary too, because we use the conjunction *ни* (*ni*) too, besides *ниту* (*nitu*).

*Macedonian:* Лице кое *ни* учи *ни* работи. (Lice koe *ni* uči *ni* raboti.) = Una persona que *ni *estudia *ni *trabaja.


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## MiguelitOOO

nimak said:


> Very interesting!  We can add the word *нини* (*nini*) into the *Macedonian* dictionary too, because we use the conjunction *ни* (*ni*) too, besides *ниту* (*nitu*).
> 
> *Macedonian:* Лице кое *ни* учи *ни* работи. (Lice koe *ni* uči *ni* raboti.) = Una persona que *ni *estudia *ni *trabaja.


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## Dymn

Some in Catalan too: _fer el gos, fer el dropo_ ("to do the dog", "to do the lazy"), _dropejar _(from _dropo_)

I'll quote how I'd say some of them in Catalan, of course many may exist in Spanish too and I guess in many other languages:



TheCrociato91 said:


> - non muovere un dito (_not move a finger_, similar to the English _to not lift a finger_), used especially to mean: refuse to help someone;


_no moure un dit. _I didn't think of it when I mentioned "to not lift a finger" because I was in a hurry but it does exist, and with the meaning mentioned by Sound Shift.



TheCrociato91 said:


> - stare/starsene a guardare (_remain watching_), similar to the one above, meaning to look on without intervening, to watch from the sidelines


_quedar-s'ho mirant_



TheCrociato91 said:


> - starsene con le mani in mano (_remain with your hands in your hands_)


_quedar-se de braços plegats_ ("to stay with arms folded")



TheCrociato91 said:


> _- _grattarsi la pancia (informal: _scatch one's belly_)


_rascar-se/gratar-se la panxa, _also _fer pànxing _("to do belly-ing")



TheCrociato91 said:


> _- _grattarsi le palle (vulgar: _scratch one's balls_)


_rascar-se/gratar-se les boles (_balls_), els collons (_bullocks_), els ous _(eggs), _els pebrots _(peppers (the fruit)), etc.



bibax said:


> _colloq. _*nezvednouti zadek* = not to lift [one's] bottom/butt/buttocks;


_no aixecar/bellugar el cul _("to not lift/move the buttocks") _de la cadira _("from the chair"). Especially when you're waiting for someone else to solve your own problems, _"treure's les castanyes del foc_ ("to pull one's chestnuts out of the fire").



alfaalfa said:


> A lazy worker (or student) sits only to scaldare la sedia


_escalfar la cadira_



MiguelitOOO said:


> *Mexican Spanish*: Ser un nini (to be a nini). Very modern idiom.


Yep, also used in Spain. But I wouldn't use it idiomatically (?).



sound shift said:


> 'Not to lift a finger' means 'not to make the slightest effort *to do something in particular*', and especially 'to do nothing *to* *help* in a particular situation', rather than 'never to do anything'.


Duly noted. I can't edit it by now though


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## AndrasBP

*Hungarian*: 
a person who does nothing can be called a

*léhűtő */'le:hy:tø:/ = lit. "soup cooler" (the soup will cool down by itself, so the "activity" is pointless)

*naplopó */'nɒplopo:/ = lit. "day stealer" (similar to the Macedonian verb "dengubi")


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## Perseas

AndrasBP said:


> *naplopó */'nɒplopo:/ = lit. "day stealer" (similar to the Macedonian verb "dengubi")


*Greek* has a similar word: *χασομερώ* [xasome'ro]= lit. I lose my day.
χασομερώ<χάνω(lose)+μέρα(day)


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## eno2

MiguelitOOO said:


> A person who neither works nor studies. Una persona que *ni *estudia *ni *trabaja = nini



Sure, that's for the unemplyed youths that do not  study no works, but it's not precisely a set phrase for doing nothing in general.
Además, no es cierto que estos NiNi's* holgazanean (=Estar voluntariamente ocioso. *). Es más una situación de desempleo juvenil provocada por la crisis.

I think I will have a few phrazes to mention in Dutch such as:
*Geen klap uitvoeren *(= no realisar ni golpe)



Yendred said:


> In *French*:


*Ne rien foutre*

No dar palo al agua is what I sought to remember  for 'geen klap uitvoeren. Klap = golpe


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## apmoy70

Also in Greek:

*«Βαράω μύγες»* [vaˈɾa.ɔ ˈmi.ʝes] --> _to swat flies_

-The MoGr verb is the uncontracted *«βαράω»* [vaˈɾa.ɔ] --> _to hit, swat_ < Classical denominative verb *«βαρέω/βαρῶ» băréō* (uncontracted)/*bărô* (contracted) --> _to weigh down, depress_ < Classical neut. noun *«βάρος» bắrŏs* --> _heavy weight_ (PIE *gʷrh₂-u- _heavy_ cf Skt. गुरु (gurú), _weighty, high in respect (teacher)_, Lat. gravis, brūtus).

-Τhe noun is *«μύγα»* [ˈmi.ɣa] (fem. nom. sing.), *«μύγες»* [ˈmi.ʝes] (fem. nom. pl.) --> _fly/flies_ < Byz. Gr. fem. *«μύγα» mýga* (idem) < Classical fem. *«μυῖα» muî̯ă*


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## eno2

apmoy70 said:


> Also in Greek:
> *«Βαράω μύγες»* [vaˈɾa.ɔ ˈmi.ʝes] --> _to swat flies_


Nice one.


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## eno2

Dutch has the verb *luilekkeren, *compound from the adjectives lui +lekker, lui meaning lazy and lekker meaning delicious, so 'luilekkeren' means lazyly and deliciously doing nothing. 

Hij luilekkerde hele dagen in de zon:   He was all day  basking lazily and deliciously  in the sun.


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## bibax

Another Czech idiom:

*chytati lelky* = lit. to catch nightjars (= to do nothing);
> verb *lelkovati* = to do nothing;

*lelek* = nightjar ("goatsucker"), _Caprimulgus europaeus_;


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## Armas

Finnish:

_pyöritellä peukaloitaan_ "to twiddle one's thumbs"
_syljeskellä kattoon_ "to spit to the ceiling"
_laiskamato_ "lazy-worm" an imaginary parasite causing laziness
_lorvikatarri_ "idleness-catarrh" an imaginary illness


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## Yendred

Armas said:


> _syljeskellä kattoon_ "to spit to the ceiling"




I like this one. Nice metaphor. In French, it would translate into "_cracher au plafond_".


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## eno2

Armas said:


> Finnish:
> 
> 
> _laiskamato_ "lazy-worm" an imaginary parasite causing laziness
> _lorvikatarri_ "idleness-catarrh" an imaginary illness



I suppose those are nouns, let's stay with idioms for the verbal expression 'doing nothing'


Lanterfanten 
duimendraaien (to twiddle one's thumbs )
Leeglopen (to idle )
All mean doing nothing.


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## ThomasK

Dymn said:


> Lanterfanten
> duimendraaien (to twiddle one's thumbs )
> Leeglopen (to idle )
> All mean doing nothing.


And: *rondhangen *(hang around)...

There are always the other expressions referring to not doing what is hoped for, which is often suggested by the presence of _niet/ gee_n (not/ no), as Sound Shift suggested: _geen vinger uitsteken_ (not to stretch a finger), _geen vin verroeren_ (not to move a fin), ...


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## Sardokan1.0

The concept of "hang around" seems to be very popular even in distant languages. 

In Sardinian language one the words to describe a time waster / lazybones is "_càncaru_" which literally means "hinge"

_Càncaru _= person who turns around doing nothing (like a hinge) -> time waster / lazybones (and it's also used as synonymous of "idiot, deficient")


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## ThomasK

"Hinge": so there is a link with hanging or turning in Sardu… [This idea that hanging and turning might be related is interesting, but that would be another thread...]


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## Sardokan1.0

Like in Italian "girarsi i pollici" = to turn your own thumbs


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## eno2

ThomasK said:


> And: *rondhangen *(hang around)...
> 
> There are always the other expressions referring to not doing what is hoped for, which is often suggested by the presence of _niet/ gee_n (not/ no), as Sound Shift suggested: _geen vinger uitsteken_ (not to stretch a finger), _geen vin verroeren_ (not to move a fin), ...



Normally I would only suggest expressions, but they began giving verbs, so I followed suit.


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## DearPrudence

Yendred said:


> In *French*:
> _Avoir un poil dans la main _(t_o have one hair in one's hand_) = to be lazy
> The expression conveys the idea that a lazy person makes so little use of their hand that hair can grow in it.
> 
> And we have the equivalent of the English expression _"to twiddle one's thumbs" _and Italian _"girarsi i pollici":
> Se tourner les pouces = _to sit there doing nothing
> 
> And the equivalent of the Spanish "_no dar palo al agua":
> Ne pas en mettre une rame (not to give any stroke of the oar)_
> *> personally, I've never heard this form, only *
> _*Ne pas en foutre une rame (not to put (any stroke of the) an oar)*_


Apart from the expressions above, I would add:

*"peigner la girafe*" _(to comb the giraffe)_
"*coincer la bulle*"_ ("to wedge the bubble")_

And rather about not helping, like "ne pas lever le petit doigt" _(not to lift a finger)_:
"*rester les bras croisés*"_ (stay with your arms crossed)_
"*regarder les mouches voler*"_ (look at the flies fly)_


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## merquiades

English expressions expressing idleness:
Sit around twiddling your thumbs
Be a couch potato


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## eno2

merquiades said:


> Sit around twiddling your thumbs


#29


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## eno2

Geen fluit uitvoeren , literally - Not perform  a flute

Fluit= flute =>dick


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