with one's thumbs up one's ass

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Idly; doing nothing important, especially in a situation that requires it.

Register: derogatory, slang, vulgar

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “with one's thumbs up one's ass” mean?

Idly; doing nothing important, especially in a situation that requires it.

Is “with one's thumbs up one's ass” formal or informal?

with one's thumbs up one's ass is generally derogatory, slang, vulgar.