"friend: "hey, are you gonna meet up with us?" you: "yeah, i'm at this family dinner right now but gnawing at the rope
when you are tied up with some obligation that you don't want to be at and trying to leave
""friend: "hey, are you gonna meet up with us?" you: "yeah, i'm at this family dinner right now but gnawing at the rope" What is the definition of "gnawing at the rope"?