“Twiddle one's thumbs”in other languages

Same idea, different pictures

English and Italian look at idle hands: thumbs going around each other, or hands held in hands, stare con le mani in mano, while others work. French gapes at the crows, bayer aux corneilles, staring into space.

Filipino counts the lamp posts, nagbibilang ng poste, said of someone with no work. Romanian rubs mint leaves, a freca menta. Russian splits баклуши, the rough wooden blanks for carving spoons, the easiest job in the workshop. Japanese sells oil, abura o uru, usually explained by the old oil peddlers who chatted with customers while the oil slowly dripped.