Historical clue formulations

• Slacks off — 2025-07-25
• Sits on one's hands — 2025-04-02
• Gets zero m.p.g., say — 2025-03-10
• Keeps the engine running, say — 2024-11-18
• Does a whole lot of nothing — 2024-08-18
• Sits and waits — 2023-11-22
• Sits around — 2023-02-08
• Keeps the engine running, without moving — 2022-02-21
• Goes nowhere, say — 2021-03-21
• Loafs — 2020-09-30
• Doesn't go anywhere — 2019-09-17
• Loafs — 2019-06-14
• Wastes gas, maybe — 2019-02-26
• Does nothing — 2018-10-20
• Kills time — 2017-07-11
• Just sits — 2017-06-16
• Doesn't do anything — 2017-03-02
• Wastes gas, say — 2016-11-13
• Lies around — 2016-05-13
• Runs without moving — 2014-09-26
• Runs in place — 2013-09-04
• Does nothing — 2013-01-28
• Twiddles one's thumbs — 2011-04-19
• Sits — 2010-06-20
• Sits — 2010-06-10
• Just sits around — 2009-06-22
• Putters — 2009-02-13
• Isn't going anywhere — 2005-12-17
• Puts out of work — 2005-10-26
• Runs for no purpose — 2005-09-25
• Does nothing — 2005-02-06
• Runs in neutral — 2004-02-02
• Runs without moving — 2003-12-16
• Runs with minimal power — 2003-04-22
• Dogs it — 2002-02-15
• Lollygags — 2000-06-02
• Benches — 1999-08-01
• Runs in neutral — 1998-08-26
• Runs with no effect — 1998-01-28
• Runs while sitting — 1997-11-20
• Runs in neutral — 1997-04-09
• Cools one's heels — 1996-10-17
• Waits at the stoplight — 1996-10-01
• Runs in place — 1996-02-11
• Wastes time — 1995-08-02
• Wastes time — 1995-03-29
• Takes it easy — 1995-01-14