IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishgo through the motions
Meaning: To do something without care or real effort.
Example: “He went through the motions of tidying, pushing everything under the bed.”
Origin: "Motions" are the movements of an action, performed without the intent behind them. The phrase is recorded from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Russian: работать спустя рукава (rabotat' spustya rukava) Literally: To work with sleeves let down
Dutch: Iets met de Franse slag doen Literally: To do something with the French stroke
Icelandic: Að kasta til höndunum Literally: To throw with your hands
Malay: Melepaskan batuk di tangga Literally: To cough on the stairs and leave- Dutch: er met een jantje-van-leiden van afmaken Literally: To finish it off with a little John from Leiden
More English idioms
- be tone-deaf To be unable to tell musical notes apart; also, to have no sense of how others feel.
- throw dust in someone's eyes To mislead someone by distracting them.
- when pigs fly Never.
- lead someone up the garden path To deceive someone, keeping them hopeful along the way.
- packed like sardines Crowded very tightly together.
- let the grass grow under one's feet To waste time and miss opportunities.
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