What is the meaning of the phrase: "to lean on the shovel"?

Question

I have recently come accross this phrase in a movie called The Cube. Here is the excerpt:

I leaned on my shovel for months on this one. This was a great job!

I couldn't find any dictionary references that would explain this phrase.

swmcdonnell · Answer

It usually means to do nothing.
It's often used in an expression such as:

"You can't lean on a shovel and pray for a hole."

Meaning that you can't do nothing and expect something to get done.

One Answer