“Not lift a finger”: idiom meaning.

Not lift a finger
Do absolutely nothing, make no kind of effort to help someone do something. Often used when a person is complaining about another person who maybe says he wants to help and he is working on it but in reality he isn’t even trying, because probably he’s too lazy or simply just doesn’t want to.

Other examples of “not lift a finger” idiom in a sentence

  • She never lifts a finger to help her husband.
  • You make your employees work hard but you won’t lift a finger yourself.
  • Nothing will change if we don’t even lift a finger.

“Not lift a finger”: use in context explanation

It’s Sunday morning. The woman is doing chores. She is angry because her husband isn’t helping her, as usual. Instead, he is sitting comfortably in his armchair, watching a game of his favourite football team and drinking beer. What is making the wife even more angry is that her husband is claiming he is offering help. The woman doesn’t believe he really wants to help. She thinks he’s just saying that but if he really wanted to help her, she wouldn’t have to ask for it. She thinks he won’t lift a finger and therefore, she has to do all by herself as always.