Scrimshanked

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Avoided one's assigned duties or work, especially by skulking off or dodging tasks, as a soldier or sailor might
2. Evaded responsibilities or shirked work through idleness or cunning, a term common in British military slang
3. Dodged the jobs one was supposed to do, often by hiding or pretending to be busy, in the manner of a slacker

Etymology: "Scrimshank" is a British military slang verb meaning to shirk duty, and "scrimshanked" is simply its past tense. Its origin is unclear. One proposed explanation is that it grew out of the noun "scrimshanker," which may blend "scrimp" with "swanker," an old military slang term for someone who works hard. The proposed blend is a neat one. "Scrimp" suggests holding back effort or stinting, while "swanker," in the slang of public and military schools, was a word for a diligent person. Joined together, they would seem to describe a hard worker who was also a bit of a dodger, though the logic of how that pairing became a term for shirking is not fully explained. The idea remains a hypothesis rather than a settled account.

Synonyms: shirked, malingered, skived, dodged, slacked

Antonyms: worked, toiled