sit on one's hands

present singular third person sits on one's hands · participle present sitting on one's hands · participle past sat on one's hands · past sat on one's hands

1. idiomaticTo remain idle when action is needed, perhaps because of fear, ignorance, complacency, indecisiveness, or dislike of the person(s) or situation.

   "Ministers cannot continue to sit on their hands, hoping this dispute will go away. Our members are fully prepared to fight tooth-and-nail for a negotiated settlement," RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch has warned.

   2023 March 8, Mel Holley, “TSSA accepts offer, but RMT sets new strike dates”, in RAIL, number 978, page 10

   Synonyms: arse about, arse around, bludge, bum around, cabbage, clown around, dally, dawdle

2. informalentertainmentTo fail to applaud when expected to.

   While Boston is a "musical town," audiences here sat on their hands a good part of the time.

   1946, Billboard, volume 58, number 40