not do a stroke (of work)
Meaning
To not do any work at all.
Examples
Now that Jim’s retired, he just spends all day on the couch watching television. He won’t do a stroke of work around the house!
I’m going to have a long night ahead with this term paper, as I haven’t done a stroke up till now.
They haven’t done a stroke of work all day.
‘they didn’t do a stroke of work for all this’
He’s useless – he hasn’t done a stroke of work today.
‘Does your husband help in the house?’ ‘No, he doesn’t do a stroke.’
‘he has long, pale hands which have clearly never done a stroke of work’
‘The best person that has ever worked with my cutting machines is a boy only 18 years old, who never did a stroke of work in his life before that.’
‘Lucretia is one of those lucky movie journalists who never do a stroke of work.’
‘It was said that Winston’s father, Randolph, never did a stroke of work in his whole life, and neither did his mother Jennie.’
‘He never did a stroke of work in his life.’
‘Now we hear that you have some among you living quite undisciplined lives, never doing a stroke of work.’
‘He was charming and funny and a great storyteller, and he never did a stroke of work.’
‘From the day of the accident, he never did a stroke of work.’
‘He gets money in plenty; he fasts no oftener than other Mohammedans; he has two wives; he never does a stroke of work.’
‘In a tiny cottage near the king’s palace there once lived an old man, his wife, and his son, a very lazy fellow, who would never do a stroke of work.’
‘I am free as the air, and never do a stroke of work; and, as for fodder, I have only to go to the hills and there I find far more than enough for my needs.’
I fear I am going to fail my exams because I have not done a stroke of work this semester.