Historical clue formulations

• Sat at a red light — 2026-08-24
• Laid off — 2026-07-12
• Did diddly-squat — 2026-01-27
• Did zippo — 2024-03-27
• As Ava ___ nearby, gathering her courage, — 2023-08-30
• Ran in place — 2023-08-02
• Stayed in neutral — 2023-02-22
• Didn't go anywhere — 2023-02-05
• Sat around — 2022-02-13
• Waited at a red light, say — 2020-09-13
• Killed time — 2020-08-16
• Ran in place, in a way — 2019-09-04
• Did a whole lot of nothing — 2019-04-30
• Killed time — 2018-08-16
• Ran in place — 2018-08-04
• Wasn't productive — 2018-04-13
• Dogged it — 2017-05-19
• Twiddled one's thumbs — 2014-12-08
• Lollygagged — 2014-10-23
• Sat — 2011-11-08
• Wasn't employed — 2010-10-29
• Kept the engine running — 2008-11-25
• Killed time — 2007-11-11
• Wasted gas — 2007-04-22
• Stayed put — 2006-07-20
• Putzed around — 2005-09-21
• Sat around — 2005-03-30
• Laid off — 2004-10-08
• Now unemployed — 2004-06-25
• Laid off — 2003-04-27
• Puttered around — 2002-09-10
• Hung around — 2002-03-17
• Wasted gas — 2001-09-16
• Lollygagged — 2001-07-13
• Ran without moving — 2001-04-16
• Went nowhere — 2000-02-20
• Let go from work — 1999-06-03
• Didn't stay active — 1998-12-18
• Went nowhere — 1998-08-07
• Sat and did nothing — 1997-12-08
• Twiddled one's thumbs — 1997-12-03
• Ran in neutral — 1996-12-21
• Loafed — 1996-07-23
• Wasted time — 1996-04-21
• Waited around — 1995-09-04
• Unemployed — 1994-07-24