точить лясы

• ТОЧИТЬ/ПОТОЧИТЬ ЛЯСЫ <БАЛИСЫ> (с кем) highly coll

[VP; subj: human]

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⇒ to be occupied with idle chatter (often to the detriment of the matter at hand):

- X точит лясы (с Y-ом) ≈ X is chewing the fat (with Y);

- X is shooting the breeze (the bull) (with Y);

- X is wagging his tongue.

     ♦ ...За делом Алёша лясы не точил, знал прежде дело, а уж потом всё остальное... (Распутин 4). Alyosha never chewed the fat when there was work to be done, he did the work first and then whatever else he might have felt like... (4a).

     ♦ Вот мы с вами сидим, лясы точим и ноги чешем, а там, за окном, быть может... всему свету наступает конец... (Терц 6). Here we sit, you and I, wagging our tongues and scratching our heels, and who knows if there, outside the window...the whole world is coming to an end... (6a).

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← "Лясы" or "балясы" were small, decorative columns used to adorn banisters. While making them, craftsmen entertained themselves by chatting with each other.