kick one's heels
Waste time waiting
To kick one's heels is to wait idly, usually with impatience or boredom.
The image is of someone with nothing to do, restlessly tapping their feet: We spent three hours kicking our heels in the airport.
British English favors this form; Americans more often say cool one's heels, which adds a sense of being deliberately made to wait.
- loiteringPurposeless public lingering
- dawdlingLeisurely time-wasting
- twiddling thumbsGesture of impatient boredom
- chafingIrritation from friction
- tarryingRemaining beyond expected time
fretting · impatient · restless · stalling · hanging around · waiting around · marking time · fidgeting · in limbo · agitated · vexed · irritable · annoyed · pacing · exasperated · waiting · sitting tight · twitching
kick one's heelshustle and bustle
Noisy, energetic activity
hustle · spring into action · get cracking · burn the candle at both ends · hit the ground running
kick one's heelsget things done
knuckle down · buckle down · achieve · accomplish · make progress
kick one's heelstake action
Begin doing something
take initiative · seize the day · get going · spring into action · hit the ground running