бить баклуши

баклу́ша (baklúša), which is now only used idiomatically, originally meant a stick or plank of split wood that is used for making wooden dishes, spoons, toys, etc.

Vladimir Dal' claimed that chopping a short wooden block (bolt) in smaller pieces is allegedly an easy task, but modern scholars reject his etymology (even though it's still widespread).

According to Mokiyenko, dialectal and foreign Slavic material rather indicates that it was a metaphor for playing gorodki.

Alternatively, Moldavan suggested that the idiom may originally have meant playing music with wooden spoons and similar makeshift percussion instruments.

• IPA^(key): [bʲɪdʲ‿bɐˈkɫuʂɨ]

би́ть баклу́ши • (bítʹ baklúši) impf

1. (idiomatic) to loiter, to twiddle one's thumbs
   • 1875, Alexander Ostrovsky, Волки и овцы:

     Ты всегда́ к ней мо́жешь прие́хать, и приня́ть тебя́ она́ должна́ с че́стью; ты не баклу́ши бить, не ля́сы точи́ть; ты за свои́м де́лом, кро́вным.

     Ty vsegdá k nej móžešʹ prijéxatʹ, i prinjátʹ tebjá oná dolžná s čéstʹju; ty ne baklúši bitʹ, ne ljásy točítʹ; ty za svoím délom, króvnym.

     You may come to her place any time, and she must receive you with all respect; you would come not to fool about, not to shoot the breeze; you would come on your business, vital business.

• ля́сы точи́ть impf (ljásy točítʹ)

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “баклуша”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Shansky, N. M. (1965), “баклуша”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), volume 1, number 2 (Б), Moscow: Moscow University Press, page 16
• Anikin, A. E. (2008), “баклуша I”, in Русский этимологический словарь [Russian Etymological Dictionary] (in Russian), issue 2 (ба – бдынъ), Moscow: Manuscript Monuments Ancient Rus, →ISBN, page 103

• Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882), “баклан”, in Толковый Словарь живаго великорускаго языка [Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language] (in Russian), 2nd edition, Publication of the bookseller-typographer Wolf, M. O.