Sometimes in the USA, we spend time doing things that don’t really help us. We scroll on our phones, wait in long lines, or talk without getting anything done. People use fun phrases to describe these moments. These are called idioms. Idioms are groups of words that mean something different from their exact words.
Idioms about wasting time are common in everyday talk. Americans often use them when things are slow or unimportant. In this article, you will learn many of these sayings. These idioms can make your speech more interesting and help you understand others better. They’re simple, useful, and fun to learn. Let’s take a look at them.
Idioms for Wasting Time
1. Beat around the bush
Meaning: Avoid saying something directly
Example Sentence:
• Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.
• He kept beating around the bush instead of answering.
Other ways to say: Avoid the point, dodge the topic
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from hunters avoiding the center of bushes where animals hid.
Usage: Used when someone avoids talking directly.
2. Kill time
Meaning: Do something unimportant while waiting
Example Sentence:
• We played cards to kill time before dinner.
• I watched TV to kill time at the airport.
Other ways to say: Pass the time, waste time
Fun Fact/Origin: First used in the 18th century to mean passing time while waiting.
Usage: Used when filling in waiting periods.
3. Fiddle around
Meaning: Do unimportant things
Example Sentence:
• He fiddled around all day and got nothing done.
• Stop fiddling around and start your homework.
Other ways to say: Mess around, fool around
Fun Fact/Origin: “Fiddle” used to mean wasting time playing music instead of working.
Usage: Used when someone isn’t being productive.
4. Drag your feet
Meaning: Move slowly or delay on purpose
Example Sentence:
• He dragged his feet getting ready for school.
• She’s dragging her feet about finishing her chores.
Other ways to say: Stall, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the image of someone walking slowly, dragging their feet.
Usage: Used when someone avoids doing something.
5. Spin your wheels
Meaning: Work hard but make no progress
Example Sentence:
• I studied for hours but was just spinning my wheels.
• We’re spinning our wheels with this broken printer.
Other ways to say: Get nowhere, waste energy
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from car tires spinning without moving the car.
Usage: Used when efforts don’t lead to results.
6. Go in circles
Meaning: Repeat actions without progress
Example Sentence:
• We’ve been going in circles on this group project.
• I keep checking my email but nothing changes.
Other ways to say: Repeat without results, stuck in a loop
Fun Fact/Origin: Inspired by walking in a circle and ending where you started.
Usage: Used when efforts lead nowhere.
7. Waste breath
Meaning: Say something that won’t make a difference
Example Sentence:
• Don’t waste your breath telling him to clean his room.
• She wasted her breath trying to explain it again.
Other ways to say: Talk for nothing, pointless talk
Fun Fact/Origin: “Breath” was once thought of as a limited resource.
Usage: Used when talking has no effect.
8. Blow off steam
Meaning: Do something to release stress, sometimes unproductive
Example Sentence:
• He played video games to blow off steam after school.
• She went for a long walk to blow off steam.
Other ways to say: Let it out, vent
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from steam engines needing to release pressure.
Usage: Often used when doing something just to feel better.
9. Poke around
Meaning: Look or act slowly without clear purpose
Example Sentence:
• He poked around the kitchen but didn’t cook anything.
• I poked around the store with no real plan.
Other ways to say: Wander, look aimlessly
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from poking or moving things without reason.
Usage: Used when someone has no goal.
10. Dilly-dally
Meaning: Take too long doing something simple
Example Sentence:
• Don’t dilly-dally; we’ll be late!
• She always dilly-dallies before bedtime.
Other ways to say: Stall, move slowly
Fun Fact/Origin: From 18th-century slang words for wasting time.
Usage: Used when someone is slow or distracted.
11. Twiddle your thumbs
Meaning: Be idle or do nothing
Example Sentence:
• I was twiddling my thumbs waiting for the bus.
• He sat there twiddling his thumbs all morning.
Other ways to say: Do nothing, wait around
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the habit of rotating thumbs when bored.
Usage: Used when someone is doing nothing useful.
12. Monkey around
Meaning: Play or act silly instead of working
Example Sentence:
• The kids were monkeying around in class.
• He monkeyed around with his tools instead of fixing the sink.
Other ways to say: Fool around, mess around
Fun Fact/Origin: Monkeys are playful and rarely stay still, like people wasting time.
Usage: Used when someone is not being serious.
13. Goof off
Meaning: Avoid work or responsibilities
Example Sentence:
• He goofed off during study time.
• I got in trouble for goofing off at work.
Other ways to say: Slack off, be lazy
Fun Fact/Origin: “Goof” means a silly person, so goofing off means acting silly instead of working.
Usage: Used when someone avoids doing tasks.
14. Loaf around
Meaning: Spend time doing nothing
Example Sentence:
• He loafed around the house all day.
• They were just loafing around the park.
Other ways to say: Lounge, be lazy
Fun Fact/Origin: “Loaf” once meant wandering without a job.
Usage: Used for lazy, unproductive time.
15. Horse around
Meaning: Play roughly or act silly
Example Sentence:
• The boys were horsing around in the backyard.
• Don’t horse around in the library.
Other ways to say: Fool around, mess around
Fun Fact/Origin: Horses play rough, and the term reflects that behavior.
Usage: Used when someone is acting playfully and wasting time.
16. Sit on your hands
Meaning: Do nothing when action is needed
Example Sentence:
• Don’t sit on your hands—help us clean.
• He sat on his hands during the group project.
Other ways to say: Stay idle, not help
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from physically sitting on hands to stop action.
Usage: Used when someone doesn’t take needed action.
17. Pass the time
Meaning: Do something to keep busy
Example Sentence:
• I read a book to pass the time at the airport.
• We played checkers to pass the time.
Other ways to say: Fill time, wait
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in American English since the 1800s.
Usage: Used when doing something while waiting.
18. Waste time
Meaning: Use time on things that don’t matter
Example Sentence:
• Don’t waste time watching random videos.
• We wasted time arguing.
Other ways to say: Lose time, spend time poorly
Fun Fact/Origin: Common phrase in both schools and jobs.
Usage: Used when time is not used well.
19. Idle away
Meaning: Spend time with no goal
Example Sentence:
• He idled away the afternoon watching clouds.
• She idled away her break doing nothing.
Other ways to say: Drift through time, do nothing
Fun Fact/Origin: “Idle” means not active or working.
Usage: Used for time spent without plans.
20. Bide your time
Meaning: Wait patiently, often doing nothing
Example Sentence:
• She bided her time until the right moment.
• He’s just biding his time before moving.
Other ways to say: Wait it out, hang back
Fun Fact/Origin: Old English term meaning to wait calmly.
Usage: Used when someone waits instead of acting.
21. On a wild goose chase
Meaning: Doing something pointless
Example Sentence:
• Looking for that old toy was a wild goose chase.
• He sent us on a wild goose chase for fake clues.
Other ways to say: Chasing nothing, pointless mission
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from a 1500s horse race where riders followed erratic paths like geese.
Usage: Used when someone is following false or useless leads.
22. Do nothing of importance
Meaning: Spend time without doing anything useful
Example Sentence:
• He did nothing of importance all day.
• I spent the weekend doing nothing of importance.
Other ways to say: Waste time, be unproductive
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in work or school reports.
Usage: Used when time is spent without results.
23. While away the time
Meaning: Spend time in a relaxed or lazy way
Example Sentence:
• She whiled away the afternoon in a hammock.
• We whiled away the hours chatting.
Other ways to say: Relax, idle away
Fun Fact/Origin: “While” here means “to spend time.”
Usage: Used for gentle, slow use of time.
24. Chase your tail
Meaning: Be busy but get nothing done
Example Sentence:
• I’ve been chasing my tail all day with chores.
• He’s just chasing his tail with this plan.
Other ways to say: Spin your wheels, go in circles
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from dogs chasing their own tails.
Usage: Used when efforts have no real result.
25. Waste daylight
Meaning: Not use the day well
Example Sentence:
• Let’s go now—we’re wasting daylight.
• You’re wasting daylight lying in bed!
Other ways to say: Lose time, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: Popularized in old farming communities in the USA.
Usage: Used when someone’s wasting early daytime.
26. Hang around
Meaning: Stay without a purpose
Example Sentence:
• The kids hung around the mall for hours.
• I was just hanging around after class.
Other ways to say: Linger, wait around
Fun Fact/Origin: Popular slang since the 1940s in America.
Usage: Used when staying with no plan.
27. Play for time
Meaning: Delay things on purpose
Example Sentence:
• He played for time by asking too many questions.
• She’s playing for time to avoid the test.
Other ways to say: Stall, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from sports where players slow down the game.
Usage: Used when trying to delay something.
28. Cloud watch
Meaning: Watch clouds instead of doing something useful
Example Sentence:
• We sat cloud watching instead of working.
• He spent the whole day just cloud watching.
Other ways to say: Daydream, be lazy
Fun Fact/Origin: Known hobby in the USA for calm, slow afternoons.
Usage: Used to describe relaxed, idle behavior.
29. Play the waiting game
Meaning: Wait instead of acting
Example Sentence:
• They played the waiting game with the landlord.
• I’m tired of playing the waiting game.
Other ways to say: Delay, be patient
Fun Fact/Origin: Common term in American business.
Usage: Used when someone delays for strategic reasons.
30. Be off task
Meaning: Not focused on the job
Example Sentence:
• You’re off task—get back to work.
• He was off task during group time.
Other ways to say: Distracted, not working
Fun Fact/Origin: Widely used in American schools.
Usage: Used when someone isn’t focused.
31. Go off on a tangent
Meaning: Talk or act away from the main point
Example Sentence:
• She went off on a tangent during her story.
• The teacher went off on a tangent about his dog.
Other ways to say: Change the subject, get sidetracked
Fun Fact/Origin: From math, where a tangent line moves away from a curve.
Usage: Used when someone strays from the main idea.
32. Bark up the wrong tree
Meaning: Do something useless or mistaken
Example Sentence:
• He’s barking up the wrong tree if he thinks I’ll agree.
• She barked up the wrong tree trying to blame him.
Other ways to say: Be wrong, waste effort
Fun Fact/Origin: From hunting dogs barking at the wrong tree.
Usage: Used when someone’s efforts are wasted.
33. Take the long way around
Meaning: Choose a slow or roundabout path
Example Sentence:
• He always takes the long way around to avoid traffic.
• I took the long way around and missed the meeting.
Other ways to say: Go the slow route, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: Literal walking or driving expression turned into an idiom.
Usage: Used when someone chooses a slower method.
34. Beat a dead horse
Meaning: Talk about something already decided
Example Sentence:
• Stop beating a dead horse—we already chose a movie.
• He kept beating a dead horse in the meeting.
Other ways to say: Repeat a settled issue, waste effort
Fun Fact/Origin: From the 1800s, meaning pointless effort.
Usage: Used when revisiting old topics.
35. Not lift a finger
Meaning: Do nothing to help
Example Sentence:
• He didn’t lift a finger to clean the yard.
• She won’t lift a finger to help out.
Other ways to say: Not help, be lazy
Fun Fact/Origin: From the idea that even small help wasn’t given.
Usage: Used when someone avoids helping.
36. Lollygag
Meaning: Spend time slowly or lazily
Example Sentence:
• Stop lollygagging and get ready for school.
• He lollygagged all day at the fair.
Other ways to say: Dilly-dally, goof off
Fun Fact/Origin: Old American slang from the 1800s.
Usage: Used in a fun or scolding way.
37. Mill around
Meaning: Move without direction
Example Sentence:
• Shoppers milled around the store before opening.
• We milled around waiting for the concert.
Other ways to say: Wander, stand around
Fun Fact/Origin: From the movement of people like grain in a mill.
Usage: Used for aimless crowds.
38. Kick back
Meaning: Relax or rest, not work
Example Sentence:
• He kicked back with a soda after school.
• I’m just kicking back before dinner.
Other ways to say: Chill, relax
Fun Fact/Origin: Common phrase in American casual talk.
Usage: Used when relaxing instead of doing work.
39. Burn daylight
Meaning: Waste the useful part of the day
Example Sentence:
• Let’s leave now—we’re burning daylight.
• You’re burning daylight lying in bed!
Other ways to say: Waste time, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: Popularized in old American farming days.
Usage: Used to urge someone to act quickly.
40. Kill an hour
Meaning: Waste or pass one hour
Example Sentence:
• I killed an hour walking around the mall.
• He killed an hour waiting for the dentist.
Other ways to say: Fill time, pass time
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in daily American talk.
Usage: Used when spending time without a goal.
41. Cool your heels
Meaning: Wait for something, often annoyed
Example Sentence:
• I had to cool my heels in the waiting room.
• He cooled his heels while the teacher spoke.
Other ways to say: Wait, be idle
Fun Fact/Origin: From horse riding, letting horses rest.
Usage: Used when waiting with no action.
42. Pot around
Meaning: Do small, unimportant tasks
Example Sentence:
• Grandpa potted around in the garden.
• She potted around with crafts all day.
Other ways to say: Putter, tinker
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in the American South.
Usage: Used when doing light, slow activities.
43. Beat time
Meaning: Tap or move to music with no purpose
Example Sentence:
• He beat time with his fingers while waiting.
• She beat time to the radio in traffic.
Other ways to say: Tap to music, pass time
Fun Fact/Origin: From musical rhythms, now also means idle time.
Usage: Used when someone idly taps or moves to sound.
44. Faff around (British but used in USA too)
Meaning: Waste time doing unimportant things
Example Sentence:
• Stop faffing around and get dressed.
• He faffed around instead of doing homework.
Other ways to say: Dilly-dally, goof off
Fun Fact/Origin: British slang, now used in parts of the USA.
Usage: Used in casual talk for wasting time.
45. Kill a few minutes
Meaning: Spend a short time doing anything
Example Sentence:
• I killed a few minutes looking at memes.
• We killed a few minutes before the movie.
Other ways to say: Pass a short time, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: Variation of “kill time.”
Usage: Used when briefly wasting time.
46. Mooch around
Meaning: Wander without a goal
Example Sentence:
• He mooched around the house bored.
• We mooched around the fair.
Other ways to say: Wander, loaf
Fun Fact/Origin: “Mooch” means to move aimlessly.
Usage: Used when walking around with no plan.
47. Put off
Meaning: Delay doing something
Example Sentence:
• I kept putting off my homework.
• Don’t put off chores until bedtime.
Other ways to say: Postpone, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in schools across the USA.
Usage: Used when avoiding tasks.
48. Slack off
Meaning: Work less or do nothing
Example Sentence:
• He slacked off during the last class.
• Don’t slack off—this test matters.
Other ways to say: Be lazy, avoid work
Fun Fact/Origin: From the idea of loosening effort.
Usage: Used when someone avoids trying.
49. Mess around
Meaning: Do unimportant things
Example Sentence:
• Stop messing around and focus.
• He messed around online for hours.
Other ways to say: Waste time, play
Fun Fact/Origin: Common among American teens.
Usage: Used when avoiding useful work.
50. Take your sweet time
Meaning: Be very slow, too relaxed
Example Sentence:
• He took his sweet time getting dressed.
• She’s taking her sweet time finishing dinner.
Other ways to say: Be slow, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: Sarcastic tone often used in families.
Usage: Used when someone moves too slowly.
Quiz: Idioms for Wasting Time
Instructions: Choose the correct meaning of each idiom. Pick the best answer from A, B, or C.
Question Key
1. What does “beat around the bush” mean?
A) Go for a walk in nature
B) Avoid saying something directly
C) Talk about bushes and trees
2. What does “kill time” mean?
A) Play a game for fun
B) Make time go faster
C) Do something while waiting
3. What does “spin your wheels” mean?
A) Ride your bike fast
B) Work hard without progress
C) Drive a car quickly
4. What does “drag your feet” mean?
A) Dance slowly
B) Delay doing something
C) Kick something across the floor
5. What does “twiddle your thumbs” mean?
A) Use your phone
B) Wait while doing nothing
C) Eat with your hands
6. What does “fiddle around” mean?
A) Play the violin
B) Get ready to do something
C) Waste time doing little things
7. What does “goof off” mean?
A) Take a nap
B) Avoid doing work
C) Watch a funny movie
8. What does “on a wild goose chase” mean?
A) Go hunting
B) Do something pointless
C) Look for birds
9. What does “dilly-dally” mean?
A) Dance slowly
B) Be lazy
C) Take too long to do something
10. What does “loaf around” mean?
A) Eat bread
B) Relax and do nothing
C) Shop at the mall
11. What does “sit on your hands” mean?
A) Sit on a chair
B) Refuse to help
C) Hide your hands
12. What does “bark up the wrong tree” mean?
A) Climb the wrong tree
B) Get confused
C) Make a mistake and waste time
13. What does “lollygag” mean?
A) Eat candy
B) Act silly and waste time
C) Jump around quickly
14. What does “hang around” mean?
A) Swing from a tree
B) Stay somewhere without a plan
C) Be very tired
15. What does “kick back” mean?
A) Kick a ball
B) Rest and relax
C) Argue with someone
16. What does “mess around” mean?
A) Break something
B) Joke with your friends
C) Waste time or act silly
17. What does “play the waiting game” mean?
A) Play a board game
B) Wait on purpose
C) Race someone
18. What does “put off” mean?
A) Delay doing something
B) Turn off a light
C) Stop someone from talking
19. What does “cool your heels” mean?
A) Sit in a freezer
B) Wait around doing nothing
C) Rest your feet on ice
20. What does “take your sweet time” mean?
A) Be very quick
B) Do something slowly
C) Eat a snack
Answer Key
- B – Avoid saying something directly
- C – Do something while waiting
- B – Work hard without progress
- B – Delay doing something
- B – Wait while doing nothing
- C – Waste time doing little things
- B – Avoid doing work
- B – Do something pointless
- C – Take too long to do something
- B – Relax and do nothing
- B – Refuse to help
- C – Make a mistake and waste time
- B – Act silly and waste time
- B – Stay somewhere without a plan
- B – Rest and relax
- C – Waste time or act silly
- B – Wait on purpose
- A – Delay doing something
- B – Wait around doing nothing
- B – Do something slowly
Wrapping Up
In the USA, many people use idioms every day. These phrases make it easy to talk about common things, like wasting time. Now you know 50 idioms and what they mean. You also know when and how to use them.
Learning these can help you sound more natural and understand others better. Whether you’re in school, at home, or with friends, these idioms will come in handy. Try using one or two today. See how they fit into real conversations.
