In the USA, people often put off tasks, whether it’s cleaning the garage, finishing homework, or starting a big project at work. This habit is called procrastination. It’s something most of us have done at one time or another. Sometimes it happens because we feel tired, distracted, or unsure where to start. Other times, we delay because the job feels too boring or too big to handle right away.
Over the years, Americans have created colorful idioms to talk about procrastination. These phrases make the topic easier to discuss and even a little more fun. Learning them can help you spot when you or someone else is putting things off. It can also make your conversations more lively and relatable. In this article, we’ll explore some common idioms about procrastination, what they mean, and how they are used in everyday life across the USA.
Idioms About Procrastination
1. Beat around the bush
Meaning: To avoid talking about the main topic.
Example Sentence:
• Stop beating around the bush and tell me if you finished the report.
• She kept beating around the bush instead of admitting she hadn’t done her homework.
Other ways to say: Avoid the point, stall
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase comes from old hunting practices, where people would hit bushes to make animals come out instead of directly confronting them.
Usage: Used when someone avoids getting to the point to delay action.
2. Drag your feet
Meaning: To move slowly or delay doing something.
Example Sentence:
• He’s been dragging his feet on fixing the leaky sink.
• The kids dragged their feet when it was time to do chores.
Other ways to say: Stall, slow down
Fun Fact/Origin: The image comes from walking so slowly that your feet drag along the ground.
Usage: Used when someone delays starting or finishing a task.
3. Leave it for tomorrow
Meaning: To delay doing something until another day.
Example Sentence:
• I’ll just leave the yard work for tomorrow.
• She left writing the essay for tomorrow, even though it was due soon.
Other ways to say: Put off, postpone
Fun Fact/Origin: The habit of putting things off has been around for centuries and is often linked to laziness or distraction.
Usage: Used when people postpone tasks without a strong reason.
4. Put something on the back burner
Meaning: To delay a task while working on other things.
Example Sentence:
• We’ll put that project on the back burner until next month.
• She put learning Spanish on the back burner while focusing on her new job.
Other ways to say: Delay, hold off
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from cooking, where pots not being used right away are moved to the back burners of a stove.
Usage: Used when something is delayed because other tasks are seen as more urgent.
5. Kill time
Meaning: To do something unimportant while waiting.
Example Sentence:
• We played cards to kill time before the bus arrived.
• He watched videos to kill time instead of doing his homework.
Other ways to say: Waste time, pass the time
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase has been used since the 1800s to describe filling time with activities that don’t move important tasks forward.
Usage: Used when someone avoids a main task by doing unimportant things.
6. Wait until the last minute
Meaning: To delay starting until the very end.
Example Sentence:
• She waited until the last minute to study for the test.
• I always wait until the last minute to file my taxes.
Other ways to say: Procrastinate, delay until the deadline
Fun Fact/Origin: People often associate this with stress and rushed work.
Usage: Used when a task is delayed until just before it’s due.
7. Play for time
Meaning: To act in a way that gives more time before you have to do something.
Example Sentence:
• He played for time by asking more questions during the meeting.
• She played for time until she could think of a better answer.
Other ways to say: Stall, buy time
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in sports, where teams delay action to run down the clock.
Usage: Used when someone intentionally delays action to prepare or avoid work.
8. Kick the can down the road
Meaning: To delay making a decision or taking action.
Example Sentence:
• The city council kicked the can down the road on fixing the bridge.
• Stop kicking the can down the road—make a choice.
Other ways to say: Postpone, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from the simple act of kicking a can instead of picking it up, delaying dealing with it.
Usage: Often used about avoiding decisions in politics or work.
9. Put off until tomorrow what you can do today
Meaning: To delay doing something that could be done now.
Example Sentence:
• He put off cleaning his room until tomorrow.
• She put off buying groceries until tomorrow, even though the fridge was empty.
Other ways to say: Delay, procrastinate
Fun Fact/Origin: This is the opposite of the old saying, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
Usage: Used when someone knowingly delays needed work.
10. Spin your wheels
Meaning: To waste time without making progress.
Example Sentence:
• He’s been spinning his wheels on that project for weeks.
• I was spinning my wheels trying to fix the computer myself.
Other ways to say: Waste time, get nowhere
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from cars stuck in mud or snow, where the wheels spin but don’t move forward.
Usage: Used when effort isn’t leading to results.
11. Let things slide
Meaning: To neglect tasks or responsibilities.
Example Sentence:
• He let things slide and now the work has piled up.
• She let her exercise routine slide during the holidays.
Other ways to say: Neglect, ignore
Fun Fact/Origin: The phrase comes from the idea of letting something slip away instead of holding onto it.
Usage: Used when someone fails to keep up with tasks.
12. Sleep on it
Meaning: To delay making a decision until later.
Example Sentence:
• I’ll sleep on it and tell you my answer tomorrow.
• She decided to sleep on it before choosing a car.
Other ways to say: Wait, think it over
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from the belief that a good night’s rest helps with decision-making.
Usage: Used when postponing a decision until the next day.
13. Put it off
Meaning: To delay doing something.
Example Sentence:
• I keep putting off cleaning the attic.
• They put off their trip because of bad weather.
Other ways to say: Postpone, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase has been used in English for hundreds of years to describe avoiding a task.
Usage: Used when a task is intentionally delayed.
14. Pass the buck
Meaning: To avoid responsibility by giving it to someone else.
Example Sentence:
• The manager passed the buck to his assistant.
• Stop passing the buck and take care of your work.
Other ways to say: Shift blame, avoid responsibility
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from poker, where a marker called a “buck” was passed to show who should deal.
Usage: Used when avoiding work by giving it to someone else.
15. Stall for time
Meaning: To delay action to gain more time.
Example Sentence:
• He stalled for time by pretending to look for his notes.
• She stalled for time until the rest of the team arrived.
Other ways to say: Buy time, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used in sports and politics to describe delaying tactics.
Usage: Used when people need more time before acting.
16. Fiddle while Rome burns
Meaning: To waste time on unimportant things during a crisis.
Example Sentence:
• He’s fiddling while Rome burns by watching TV instead of fixing the leak.
• The team fiddled while Rome burned, ignoring the urgent problem.
Other ways to say: Waste time, ignore urgency
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the legend that Emperor Nero played the fiddle while Rome was on fire.
Usage: Used when someone ignores an urgent situation.
17. Hold off
Meaning: To wait before doing something.
Example Sentence:
• Let’s hold off on painting until the weather improves.
• She held off on answering until she had more information.
Other ways to say: Delay, wait
Fun Fact/Origin: Originally used in battle to mean “keep away” or “delay an attack.”
Usage: Used when delaying an action on purpose.
18. Play the waiting game
Meaning: To delay action while waiting for a better time.
Example Sentence:
• He played the waiting game before making his offer.
• She’s playing the waiting game to see if prices drop.
Other ways to say: Wait it out, bide your time
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase is often used in business or negotiations.
Usage: Used when waiting might bring a better result.
19. String someone along
Meaning: To delay giving an answer or making a decision.
Example Sentence:
• He strung me along for weeks before saying no.
• She’s stringing him along without making any promises.
Other ways to say: Keep waiting, lead on
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of keeping something tied on a string without letting it go.
Usage: Used when delaying while keeping someone hopeful.
20. Take your sweet time
Meaning: To go slowly without hurrying.
Example Sentence:
• He took his sweet time getting ready for the party.
• She took her sweet time finishing the project.
Other ways to say: Go slowly, move at your own pace
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used sarcastically to point out that someone is being too slow.
Usage: Used when someone is moving slowly, often causing delay.
21. Wait for the dust to settle
Meaning: To delay action until a situation becomes calmer.
Example Sentence:
• Let’s wait for the dust to settle before deciding.
• She waited for the dust to settle after the argument.
Other ways to say: Wait, hold back
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from battles or storms, where dust makes it hard to see until it settles.
Usage: Used when waiting for things to calm down before acting.
22. Sit on your hands
Meaning: To do nothing when action is needed.
Example Sentence:
• The board sat on their hands instead of approving the plan.
• He sat on his hands and let others do the work.
Other ways to say: Do nothing, stay idle
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the image of sitting with hands under you so you can’t use them.
Usage: Used when people fail to act.
23. Push back
Meaning: To delay a scheduled event.
Example Sentence:
• The meeting was pushed back to next week.
• They pushed back the concert because of rain.
Other ways to say: Reschedule, postpone
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used in American business and sports.
Usage: Used when events are delayed to a later time.
24. Mark time
Meaning: To stay busy without making progress.
Example Sentence:
• He’s just marking time until his contract ends.
• She marked time by organizing papers instead of working on the report.
Other ways to say: Waste time, pass time
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from marching in place without moving forward.
Usage: Used when work is done without real progress.
25. Dilly-dally
Meaning: To waste time by going slowly.
Example Sentence:
• Stop dilly-dallying and start your homework.
• They dilly-dallied and missed the bus.
Other ways to say: Loaf, dawdle
Fun Fact/Origin: This fun-sounding phrase dates back to the 1700s.
Usage: Used when someone moves too slowly without reason.
26. Let the grass grow under your feet
Meaning: To be slow in taking action.
Example Sentence:
• Don’t let the grass grow under your feet—call them now.
• She let the grass grow under her feet and lost the opportunity.
Other ways to say: Delay, waste time
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of standing still long enough for grass to grow.
Usage: Used when someone takes too long to act.
27. Sit tight
Meaning: To wait patiently without acting.
Example Sentence:
• Sit tight until we hear back from them.
• The team sat tight while waiting for instructions.
Other ways to say: Wait, stay put
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase is often used to advise calm waiting.
Usage: Used when it’s better to wait than take action.
28. Prolong the inevitable
Meaning: To delay something that must happen anyway.
Example Sentence:
• You’re just prolonging the inevitable by not telling him.
• She’s prolonging the inevitable by avoiding the truth.
Other ways to say: Delay the unavoidable, stall
Fun Fact/Origin: Commonly used in personal and business situations.
Usage: Used when delay won’t change the final outcome.
29. Wait and see
Meaning: To delay action until you know more.
Example Sentence:
• Let’s wait and see what happens before deciding.
• He decided to wait and see if the problem fixed itself.
Other ways to say: Hold off, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: This is often used in politics, sports, and health situations.
Usage: Used when people delay to gather more information.
30. Draw out
Meaning: To make something take longer than necessary.
Example Sentence:
• He drew out the meeting with extra questions.
• She drew out the goodbye for over an hour.
Other ways to say: Stretch out, extend
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of pulling something to make it longer.
Usage: Used when an event or action is made to last longer.
31. Leave hanging
Meaning: To keep someone waiting without an answer.
Example Sentence:
• Don’t leave me hanging—tell me your decision.
• She left him hanging for days before replying.
Other ways to say: Keep waiting, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: The image is of someone dangling without support.
Usage: Used when people don’t respond in a timely way.
32. Miss the boat
Meaning: To delay too long and miss an opportunity.
Example Sentence:
• He missed the boat by applying too late.
• Don’t miss the boat on these concert tickets.
Other ways to say: Lose out, be too late
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from literally missing a departing boat.
Usage: Used when delay causes a lost chance.
33. Putter around
Meaning: To do small, unimportant tasks instead of important ones.
Example Sentence:
• He puttered around the garage instead of mowing the lawn.
• She puttered around the kitchen instead of starting dinner.
Other ways to say: Loaf, tinker
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used in American English to describe aimless activity.
Usage: Used when avoiding main tasks with busywork.
34. Beat the clock—fail to
Meaning: To run out of time before finishing.
Example Sentence:
• I failed to beat the clock and missed the deadline.
• She didn’t beat the clock on her application.
Other ways to say: Miss deadline, run out of time
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from sports and games where you must finish before time runs out.
Usage: Used when delay leads to missing a deadline.
35. Take forever
Meaning: To take an extremely long time.
Example Sentence:
• He took forever to get ready for the party.
• The meeting took forever to finish.
Other ways to say: Take ages, be very slow
Fun Fact/Origin: Used in casual conversation to exaggerate how slow something is.
Usage: Used when something seems to take much longer than it should.
Quiz: Idioms About Procrastination
Instructions: Choose the correct meaning for each idiom. Only one answer is correct.
Question Key
1. If someone is “dragging their feet,” what are they doing?
A) Working quickly
B) Moving slowly or delaying
C) Finishing ahead of schedule
2. What does “kick the can down the road” mean?
A) Avoid dealing with something now
B) Clean up trash from the street
C) Start a job immediately
3. If a person “beats around the bush,” what are they doing?
A) Talking directly about a problem
B) Avoiding the main point
C) Cleaning up their yard
4. What does it mean to “wait until the last minute”?
A) Start something right away
B) Delay until just before the deadline
C) Never finish the task
5. If you “let things slide,” what are you doing?
A) Keeping everything organized
B) Neglecting your responsibilities
C) Finishing everything on time
6. What does “play the waiting game” mean?
A) Act quickly before others do
B) Delay action to get a better result
C) Watch sports on TV
7. If you “pass the buck,” what are you doing?
A) Taking full responsibility
B) Avoiding responsibility by giving it to someone else
C) Paying for something with cash
8. What does “miss the boat” mean?
A) Take a trip by water
B) Delay too long and lose an opportunity
C) Be early for a meeting
9. If you “sit on your hands,” what are you doing?
A) Waiting calmly without taking action
B) Writing very quickly
C) Helping others immediately
10. What does “dilly-dally” mean?
A) Waste time by going slowly
B) Make a smart decision quickly
C) Run to finish before time is up
11. If you “put something on the back burner,” what are you doing?
A) Making it your top priority
B) Delaying it while focusing on other things
C) Throwing it away
12. What does “string someone along” mean?
A) Make someone laugh
B) Delay giving them an answer or decision
C) Help them get work done faster
Answer Key
- B – Moving slowly or delaying
- A – Avoid dealing with something now
- B – Avoiding the main point
- B – Delay until just before the deadline
- B – Neglecting your responsibilities
- B – Delay action to get a better result
- B – Avoiding responsibility by giving it to someone else
- B – Delay too long and lose an opportunity
- A – Waiting calmly without taking action
- A – Waste time by going slowly
- B – Delaying it while focusing on other things
- B – Delay giving them an answer or decision
Wrapping Up
Procrastination is something almost everyone in the USA deals with at some point. These idioms show how language can make even bad habits easier to talk about. From “dragging your feet” to “kicking the can down the road,” these phrases give clear pictures of delaying work.
Knowing these expressions can help you recognize when you’re putting things off—and maybe push you to take action sooner. They also make conversations more lively and relatable. Next time you hear someone using one of these idioms, you’ll know exactly what they mean.
