move a muscle
not move a muscle
1. To not move at all; to stay completely still. When I looked down and saw the snake, I didn't move a muscle until it slithered past me. Sit still until I come back, do you hear me? Don't move a muscle!
2. To not do anything, especially in a situation when one should help. You didn't even move a muscle when I came in with the groceries. A little help next time. The kids have been glued to the TV all day not moving a muscle.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
move a muscle
Bestir oneself even slightly. This idiom is usually put negatively, either with implied criticism, as in She won't move a muscle to help get dinner, or not, as in When I saw the deer, I stayed quite still, not daring to move a muscle. It was first recorded in 1889.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.