I was discussing with a friend an upcoming social event where everyone will be a stranger to me (not the Atlanta picnic next Sunday, of course), and she made a commiserative remark about how stressful such meetings can be. I wanted to clarify that my aprehension was less due to 'stage fright" and more of expectaions of boredom, using the phrase “I’m mainly afraid of just sitting there with my thumb up my ass until I can politely leave.”
But I didn’t use that phrase, because I’m not sure it wouldn’t have been perceived as some bizzare anal eroticiscm ritual performed during stress, similar to an OCD’s hand-washing or need to touch every horizotal surface in the room.
For me, so resons I am unable to explain, “just sitting there with my thumb up my ass” perfectly sums up our sluggard uselessness during spells of enui. But would you understand it if so used in conversation?
I think it’d be well understood but it’s kinda crass and I wouldn’t use it with someone I don’t know well. If you say “twiddling my thumbs”, it means the same thing and it won’t inadverdantly offend someone.
I’m just sitting here with my thumb up my ass (an expression I use often), wondering if “I just pulled ______ out of my butt” is also understood. I generally use it in place of the milder, “I pulled ____ out of thin air.”
I surely hope that everyone knows, " … and maybe monkeys will fly out of my butt," given how often I use it.
A very similar expression is used in Hebrew to describe a person who just can’t get anything done “He doesn’t take his finger out of his ass” – which means that, certainly, I, from a very different location and a completely different linguistic background would understand you. So I vote for pretty damn universal…
Very common in both CA where I am from and NY where I now live.
I tend to say “sitting here…on my hands” with the obvious pause for effect. Same thing with “I just pulled that idea…out of my ear” when everyone knows what I really mean - just trying to avoid needless profanity in a professional setting while making my point…
No, I’d expect it meant you were affraid of Gay Rape at the meating or something like that.
“I’d be there just sitting on my hands” would have the meaning you wanted from my point of view.
Yup. You may well hear an army sargeant tell a platton, “OK, guys, rest’s over; y’all get your fingers out of your asses and let’s get cracking!”
Absolutley zero sexual overtone.
And, yet, of course there are euphamisms for everything, so one expression you might hear is “This guy is so lazy, he can’t sit down” (implied – because he has his finger up his ass, which would make for a difficult, nay painful, geometry :D)
BTW, what other Hebrew-speaking cultures (other than Israeli culture, that is) are you speaking of? I only know of this one…
Last night my GF said, “I sat there with my thumb in my… do you know what I mean? Mon pouce en mon [coule?]” (This last with a helpful illustrating gesture.)
I remembered seeing this thread title and thought that at least I know it’s understood by québécoise.
Interesting phrase.
I only know of this one…