spin one's wheels

spin one's wheels
spin one's wheels
to waste time; to remain in a neutral position, neither advancing nor falling back. (Fig. on a car that is running but is not moving because its wheels are spinning in mud, etc.) •

I'm just spinning my wheels in this job. I need more training to get ahead.

The whole project was just spinning its wheels until spring.

* * *
{v. phr.} 1. Said of cars stuck in snow or mud whose wheels are turning without the car moving forward. * /There was so much snow on the driveway that my car's wheels were spinning in it and we couldn't get going./ 2. To exert effort in a job without making any progress. * /I've been working for the firm for two decades, but I feel I am merely spinning my wheels./

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • spin one's wheels — {v. phr.} 1. Said of cars stuck in snow or mud whose wheels are turning without the car moving forward. * /There was so much snow on the driveway that my car s wheels were spinning in it and we couldn t get going./ 2. To exert effort in a job… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • spin one's wheels — idi spin one s wheels, to waste one s efforts …   From formal English to slang

  • spin one's wheels N. Amer. — spin one s wheels N. Amer. informal waste one s time or efforts. → spin …   English new terms dictionary

  • spin\ one's\ wheels — v. phr. 1. Said of cars stuck in snow or mud whose wheels are turning without the car moving forward. There was so much snow on the driveway that my car s wheels were spinning in it and we couldn t get going. 2. To exert effort in a job without… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • spin one’s wheels — tv. to waste time; to remain in a neutral position, neither advancing nor falling back. □ I’m just spinning my wheels in this job. I need more training to get ahead. □ The whole project was just spinning its wheels until spring …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • spin one's wheels — verb To make no progress despite making an effort; to get nowhere. Ive been spinning my wheels on this problem all week, with nothing to show for it …   Wiktionary

  • spin one's wheels — informal waste one s time or efforts …   Useful english dictionary

  • spin one's wheels — phrasal to make futile efforts to achieve progress …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • spin — spinnability, n. spinnable, adj. /spin/, v., spun or (Archaic) span, spun, spinning, n. v.t. 1. to make (yarn) by drawing out, twisting, and winding fibers: Pioneer women spun yarn on spinning wheels. 2. to form (the fi …   Universalium

  • spin — [[t]spɪn[/t]] v. spun, spin•ning, n. 1) tex to make (yarn) by drawing out, twisting, and winding fibers 2) tex to form (the fibers of any material) into thread or yarn 3) anb to produce (a thread, web, cocoon, etc.) by extruding from the body a… …   From formal English to slang

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