He always was a miserable man. He never spoke to me nor anybody else, not even to pass the time of day.

他总是不友好。他从不和我说话，也不和别人说话，那怕是为了打发时光。

《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》

Although I spoke to him a number of times, it was only to pass the time of day.

我虽然和他说过许多次话，但都是寒喧而已。

《新英汉大辞典》

She stopped by just to pass the time of day.

她来串门只是为了打发时间。

youdao

The rest of your life is going to pass by regardless of what you choose to do with your time each day, so why not spend it doing something that would immeasurably enrich your experience of being alive (not to mention the lives of those around you)?

FORBES: Is Your Busy-ness Going In The Wrong Direction?