Трла баба лан (Trla baba lan)

Meaning: Pointless busywork done just to pass the time.

Language: Serbian

Literally: Granny rubbed flax

Category: Daily Life

Origin: From a longer Serbian saying about an old woman flailing flax merely to fill her idle hours.

More idioms — Daily Life

• Бели кахъри (Beli kahŭri) — Trivial, almost pleasant things to fret over.
• Обръщам дебелия край (Obrashhtam debeliya kray) — To start treating someone harshly.
• Byť v koncoch — To be at your wits' end.
• Metati polena pod noge — To deliberately obstruct or sabotage someone.
• Nei į tvorą, nei į mietą — Neither here nor there; completely irrelevant.
• Pilstyti iš tuščio į kiaurą — To do utterly futile work.

More Serbian idioms

• Пасти с Марса (Pasti s Marsa) — To be totally out of touch with what's going on.
• Мува без главе (Muva bez glave) — To rush about chaotically and without direction.
• Држати свећу (Držati sveću) — To be the awkward third wheel to a couple.

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