sitting on one's hands

Verb

sit on one's hands (third-person singular simple present sits on one's hands, present participle sitting on one's hands, simple past and past participle sat on one's hands)

1. (idiomatic) To 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, dick about, dick around

2. (informal) To 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