idle (redirected from idles)

devil finds work for idle hands to do

Prov. If you do not have useful work to do, you will be tempted to do frivolous or harmful things to get rid of your boredom. Knowing that the devil finds work for idle hands to do, Elizabeth always made sure that her children had plenty of chores to keep them occupied.

See also: devil, find, hand, work

idle something away

Fig. to waste one's time in idleness; to waste a period of time, such as an afternoon, evening, one's life. She idled the afternoon away and then went to a party. Don't idle away the afternoon.

See also: away

idle about

to loiter around, doing nothing. Please don't idle about. Get busy! Andy is idling about today.

idle brain is the devil's workshop

Prov. People who have nothing worthwhile to think about will usually think of something bad to do. We need to figure out something constructive for Tom to do in the afternoons after school. An idle brain is the devil's workshop.

See also: brain

Idle people have the least leisure. and Idle folk have the least leisure.

Prov. If you are not energetic and hardworking, you will never have any free time, since you will have to spend all your time finishing your work. My grandmother always told me not to dawdle, since idle people have the least leisure.

See also: have, least, leisure, people

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be bone idle  (British)

to be very lazy She's bone idle - she just sits around the house all day watching TV.

See also: bone

The devil finds work for idle hands.

something that you say which means people who have no work or activity are more likely to do things they should not do, such as commit crimes There's plenty more tidying to do if you've finished the bedroom. The devil finds work for idle hands.

See play devil's advocate, give due

See also: devil, find, hand, work