sitting on one's hands
Refusing to act
To sit on one's hands is to refrain from acting when action is expected or needed—to remain passive, hold back applause, or refuse to participate.
The image is of someone keeping their hands unavailable: Congress sat on its hands while the crisis deepened.
In literal use, an audience sitting on their hands declines to clap.
- idlenessState of doing nothing
- twiddling thumbsGesture of impatient boredom
- complicityShared criminal involvement
- looking the other wayDeliberately ignoring wrongdoing
- willful ignorancePurposely remaining uninformed
indecision · cold feet · apathy · reluctance · doubt · bystander effect · standing by · inertia · asleep at the wheel · stagnation · neglect · vacillation · avoidance · prudence · playing it safe · procrastination · dragging feet · nonintervention
sitting on one's handstaking action
Initiating purposeful effort
acting · jumping in · stepping up · intervening · rolling up one's sleeves
sitting on one's handstaking initiative
Acting without external direction
taking charge · going for it · blazing a trail · carpe diem · taking the bull by the horns
sitting on one's handsgoing all out
Exerting total effort
putting in the work · hustling · grinding · going the extra mile · pulling one's weight
sitter, sitters, sitting, hands, handed, handing, handily, handiness