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to circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic
Examples
- He twiddled his thumbs for almost a week while he waited for somebody to set up his computer.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sit on one's hands
Antonyms: none provided
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
27 source translations are retained for this English entry.
-
Czech:
točit palci
— to circle one's thumbs around one another
-
Danish:
trille tommelfingre
— to circle one's thumbs around one another
-
Dutch:
duimendraaien
— to circle one's thumbs around one another
-
French:
se tourner les pouces
— to circle one's thumbs around one another
-
German:
Däumchen drehen
— to circle one's thumbs around one another
-
Hungarian:
malmozik az ujjaival
— to circle one's thumbs around one another
-
Hungarian:
malmozik
— to circle one's thumbs around one another
-
Italian:
girarsi i pollici
— to circle one's thumbs around one another
-
Swedish:
rulla tummarna
— to circle one's thumbs around one another
-
Azerbaijani:
lülə qurutmaq
— to wait or dawdle
-
Czech:
lelkovat
— to wait or dawdle
-
Danish:
trille tommelfingre
— to wait or dawdle
-
Dutch:
duimendraaien
— to wait or dawdle
-
Finnish:
pyöritellä peukaloitansa
— to wait or dawdle
-
French:
se tourner les pouces
— to wait or dawdle
-
German:
Däumchen drehen
— to wait or dawdle
-
Hungarian:
malmozik
— to wait or dawdle
-
Italian:
girarsi i pollici
— to wait or dawdle
-
Polish:
siedzieć z założonymi rękami
— to wait or dawdle
-
Polish:
wlec się
— to wait or dawdle
-
Romanian:
freca menta
— to wait or dawdle
-
Romanian:
tăia frunză la câini
— to wait or dawdle
-
Russian:
би́ть баклу́ши
(bítʹ baklúši)
— to wait or dawdle
-
Russian:
сиде́ь сложа́ ру́ки
(sidéʹ složá rúki)
— to wait or dawdle
-
Swedish:
rulla tummarna
— to wait or dawdle
-
Ukrainian:
бити байдики
(byty bajdyky)
— to wait or dawdle
-
Ukrainian:
жува́ти со́плі
(žuváty sópli)
— to wait or dawdle
