idle

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an idle brain is the devil's workshop

proverb When one has nothing to do, one is more likely to get into trouble. When I'm off from school, my grandmother is always trying to get me out of the house, while reminding me that an idle brain is the devil's workshop.
See also: brain, idle, workshop

be bone idle

To be extremely lazy. Can you please get Billy to go to the playground or something? He's been bone idle, just laying around all day.
See also: bone, idle

bone-idle

Extremely lazy. Can you please get Billy to go to the playground or something? He's just laying around all day, being bone-idle.

idle about

To be lazy. Can you please get Billy to go to the playground or something? He's just been idling about all day.
See also: idle

idle away

To waste an interval of time in laziness or inactivity. A noun or pronoun can be used between "idle" and "away." Don't idle the whole day away, or else you'll be up all night finishing your science project. I idled away a few hours and then got back to my research.
See also: away, idle

idle folk have the least leisure

proverb People who are slow to finish their work ultimately have less free time. Idle folk have the least leisure, you know. So if you would just write your paper instead of procrastinating, you'd have some time to really relax.
See also: folk, have, idle, least, leisure

idle hands are the devil's playthings

proverb When one is unoccupied or has nothing to do, one is more likely to cause or get into trouble. Idle hands are the devil's playthings, so is it any surprise they started causing mischief after being left to their own devices for so long? We try to keep our kids busy with various jobs and activities during their summer break. Idle hands are the devil's playthings, after all.
See also: hand, idle

idle hands are the devil's tools

proverb When one is unoccupied or has nothing to do, one is more likely to cause or get into trouble. Idle hands are the devil's tools, so is it any surprise they started causing mischief after being left to their own devices for so long? We try to keep our kids busy with various jobs and activities during their summer break. Idle hands are the devil's tools, after all.
See also: hand, idle, tool

idle hands are the devil's workshop

proverb When one is unoccupied or has nothing to do, one is more likely to cause or get into trouble. Idle hands are the devil's workshop, so is it any surprise they started causing mischief after being left to their own devices for so long? We try to keep our kids busy with various jobs and activities during their summer break. Idle hands are the devil's workshop, after all.
See also: hand, idle, workshop

idle people have the least leisure

proverb People who are slow to finish their work ultimately have less free time. Idle people have the least leisure, you know. So if you would just write your paper instead of procrastinating, you'd have some time to really relax.
See also: have, idle, least, leisure, people

the devil finds work for idle hands

proverb When one is unoccupied or has nothing to do, one is more likely to cause or get into trouble. The devil finds work for idle hands, so is it any surprise they started causing mischief after being left to their own devices for so long? We try to keep our kids busy with various jobs and activities during their summer break. The devil finds work for idle hands, after all.
See also: devil, find, hand, idle, work

the devil finds work for idle hands to do

proverb When one is unoccupied or has nothing to do, one is more likely to cause or get into trouble. The devil finds work for idle hands to do, so is it any surprise they started causing mischief after being left to their own devices for so long? We try to keep our kids busy with various jobs and activities during their summer break. The devil finds work for idle hands to do, after all.
See also: devil, find, hand, idle, work

the devil makes work for idle hands

proverb When one is unoccupied or has nothing to do, one is more likely to cause or get into trouble. The devil makes work for idle hands, so is it any surprise they started causing mischief after being left to their own devices for so long? We try to keep our kids busy with various jobs and activities during their summer break. The devil finds work for idle hands, after all.
See also: devil, hand, idle, make, work

the devil makes work for idle hands to do

proverb When one is unoccupied or has nothing to do, one is more likely to cause or get into trouble. The devil makes work for idle hands to do, so is it any surprise they started causing mischief after being left to their own devices for so long? We try to keep our kids busy with various jobs and activities during their summer break. The devil makes work for idle hands to do, after all.
See also: devil, hand, idle, make, work
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

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, idle, work

idle about

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

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, workshop

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, idle, least, leisure, people

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
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

ˌbone ˈidle

(British English, informal) (of a person) very lazy: The family consists of Vera, her intensely irritating husband and her two bone idle sons.
See also: bone, idle

the devil makes work for idle ˈhands

(saying) people who do not have enough to do often start to do wrong: She blamed the crimes on the local jobless teenagers. ‘The devil makes work for idle hands,’ she would say.
See also: devil, hand, idle, make, work
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

idle away

v.
To spend some period of time not working or avoiding work: I idled the day away. The children idled away the summer.
See also: away, idle
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
See also:
References in periodicals archive ?
In the case of idle reduction, a telematics solution would tell you every time a piece of equipment was idling for more than 15 minutes.
* Dedicated and focused reinforcement of the importance of reducing idle.
By making telematics a part of a comprehensive idle reduction strategy, a construction company may recognize several benefits:
Having this information means that companies can greatly reduce idle by turning the equipment off (saving money) or by increasing its productivity (making money).
By significantly reducing idle time, you reduce diesel emissions.
Reducing equipment idle time saves big $$$
Vehicle engines warm up fastest when a vehicle is being driven, so as long as your windshield and other windows are clear of frost and snow, there is little reason to idle on start-up.
No Engine Idling Campaign in Victoria, BC sells Idle Free Zone aluminum signs: www.greengatherings.ca
An exhaustingly bad habit
Officials at USDOT, EPA, and DOE continue to work with stakeholders to educate them on the benefits of idle reduction, while also identifying funding opportunities and providing technical assistance in the implementation and deployment of projects.
Financing idle-reduction projects: new technologies offer cost-effective strategies to limit air emissions at truckstops
Trucks overnighting in California must select an idle reduction technology, such as APUs (with additional guidelines), fuel-fired heaters, batteries or truck stop electrification to meet heating, cooling and electrical needs.
"There are certain extremes where you don't have a choice--you have to idle the engine if plug-ins are not available," said Damman.
Truck OEMs are alleviating some of the stress of the situation by offering engines that meet the Clean Idle Certification and by making anti-idling technologies more readily available on their trucks.
offers programmable or adjustable engine data files, which ensure engine idle occurs at 30 g/bhp-hr or less N[O.sub.x].
"APUs produce more particulates than 2007 heavy-duty diesel engines at idle," said Chen.
Not a place to be idle: California enacts five-minute anti-idling regulation for sleeper trucks; no overnight idling, APUs under more stringent regulations for '07 and beyond
The day and night shifts require one attendant each to operate the system, which is unattended at idle. Attendants start, monitor and shut down the system, coordinate sand handling and perform routine maintenance.
Research, planning aid selection of sand reclamation system
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