scrimshankn.
/ˈskrɪmʃaŋk/, U.S. /ˈskrɪmˌʃæŋk/ Chiefly Military slang.† 2. A period during which a person is able to avoid his or her work or responsibilities. Cf. scrimshank v. Obsolete. rare.
1. A person who avoids his or her work or responsibilities; a shirker; = scrimshanker n.Used as a nickname in quot. 1886.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > not doing > abstaining or refraining from action > [noun] > avoiding an action or condition > avoiding duty, work, or exertion > one who
skulkc1320
loundererc1425
old soldier1722
malingerer1785
skulker1785
shirker1799
shirk1818
slink1824
schemer1843
sconcer1843
scrimshanker1882
scrimshank1886
sooner1892
Weary Willie1896
slacker1898
slackster1901
sugarer1904
work-shy1904
gold brick1905
tired Tim (also Timothy)1906
lead-swinger1917
piker1917
gold-bricker1919
slinker1919
poler1938
skiver1941
1886 E. Randolph Mostly Fools I. iii. 59 So poor old Skrimshank has applied for the Chiltern Hundreds. Well, he has not set foot in the House for the last three sessions.
1926 T. E. Lawrence Seven Pillars (subscribers' ed.) xlv. 235 I was furious with..Gasim, a gap-toothed, grumbling fellow, skrimshank in all our marches, bad-tempered, suspicious, brutal.
1978 Verbatim May 1/2 It exposes the shirking scrimshank, who presumably preserves his legs from unnecessary exertion.
2007 Irish Independent (Nexis) 22 Nov. The malingering scrimshank who accounts for the missing day's work was Father Willie Doyle, the day he was killed in action in Belgium (which is, of course, no excuse).
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > not doing > abstaining or refraining from action > [noun] > avoiding an action or condition > avoiding duty, work, or exertion > opportunity for or an act of
come-off1678
mike1825
shirk1863
gold-bricking1901
scrimshank1903
lead-swing1952
skive1958
skive1980
1903 Pilot 17 Oct. 378/1 We all know that you are due for a long skrim-shank next month.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
scrimshankv.
/ˈskrɪmʃaŋk/, U.S. /ˈskrɪmˌʃæŋk/ Chiefly Military slang.
intransitive. To avoid one's work or responsibilities; to shirk.In quot. 1966: to complete a task in the quickest or easiest way; to cut corners.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > not doing > abstaining or refraining from action > abstain or refrain from action [verb (intransitive)] > avoid > avoid duty, work, or exertion
feignc1300
lurk1551
slug1642
skulk1781
malinger1820
mike1838
shirk1853
slinker1880
scrimshank1882
pike1889
scow1901
spruce1916
to swing the lead1917
bludge1919
to dodge the column1919
skive1919
to screw off1943
to do a never1946
to fuck off1946
to dick off1948
1882 [implied in: Jrnl. Royal United Service Inst. 26 94 Those gentlemen, who may be all included under the common name of ‘Skrim Shankers’, will go, and will be a very good riddance of very bad rubbish. (at scrimshanker n.)].
1890 A. Barrère & C. G. Leland Dict. Slang II. Scrimshank, to shirk one's duty.
1893 R. Kipling Many Inventions 135 If Mulvaney stops skrimshanking..I lay your lives will be trouble to you.
1915 Blackwood's Mag. Jan. 66/1 It means that he is trying to get his discharge. Bring him along: I'll soon find out whether he is skrim-shanking or not.
1966 Listener 28 July 127/3 Scrimshanking, when it's a question of getting a job finished.
2004 Racing Post (Nexis) 15 Oct. 15 Obviously, I have never malingered and scrimshanked in my present employ.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1886v.1882- return envelope
- return fare
- return fire
- return fixture
- return flight
- return flow
- return flue
- return half
- return horse
- return ignoramus
- return journey
- return key
- return leg
- return line
- return load
- return mail
- return man
- return match
- return not empty
- return of execution
- return of serve
- return of service
- return omnibus
- return on capital
- return one's partner's lead