The Clue
"Monty Python" regular (4 letter answer)
The Answer
IDLE
Tags
Notes
The answer IDLE is very common and appears about once every 38 puzzles.
Related Clues
Empty
Furloughed
Futile
Groundless
Inactive
Lallygag
Loaf
Nonworking
Otiose
Pointless
At rest
Unavailing
Unemployed
Between assignments
On break, say
Goofing off
Just sitting
Kind of fancy
Knock about
Lay off
Not busy
Not in use
Not working
Nothing doing?
Pink-slip
Run at the curb
Run in neutral
Run in place
Without worth
Just sitting around
Like a "painted ship"
Run in neutral gear
Run without moving
Twiddling thumbs
Having time on one's hands
Run while standing still
Kind of hands that are "the devil's playthings"
Definition
IDLE as a noun:
1. the state of an engine or other mechanism that is idling; "the car engine was running at idle"
IDLE as a verb:
1. (idle, tick over) = run disconnected or idle; "the engine is idling"
2. (idle, laze, slug, stagnate) = be idle; exist in a changeless situation; "The old man sat and stagnated on his porch"; "He slugged in bed all morning"
IDLE as an adjective:
1. not in action or at work; "an idle laborer"; "idle drifters"; "the idle rich"; "an idle mind"
2. (baseless, groundless, idle, unfounded, unwarranted, wild) = without a basis in reason or fact; "baseless gossip"; "the allegations proved groundless"; "idle fears"; "unfounded suspicions"; "unwarranted jealousy"
3. (idle, unused) = not in active use; "the machinery sat idle during the strike"; "idle hands"
4. (idle, light) = silly or trivial; "idle pleasure"; "light banter"; "light idle chatter"
5. (idle, loose) = lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; "idle talk"; "a loose tongue"
6. (dead, idle) = not yielding a return; "dead capital"; "idle funds"
7. (idle, jobless, out of work) = not having a job; "idle carpenters"; "jobless transients"; "many people in the area were out of work"