Scrimshanks

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Avoids doing one's assigned duties or work, especially by skulking about or malingering in the military or at a job
2. Evades responsibilities by slacking off or dodging tasks that one is expected to perform, particularly in military service
3. Shirks obligations through idleness or cunning evasion, often by hiding away to avoid work that others must do

Etymology: "Scrimshank" is a military slang verb meaning to shirk duty, and its origin is genuinely uncertain. The most cited hypothesis is that it blends "scrimp" with "swanker," an old slang term from British public and military schools for a person who works hard, with "scrimshanker" (one who shirks) emerging from the same blend. The logic is that a scrimshanker scrimps on effort, turning the hard worker's label inside out, but this remains a plausible guess rather than a documented chain of events. The word belongs to the slang of the British armed forces of the late nineteenth century, when soldiers and sailors had a rich vocabulary for avoiding work. Its appeal lies in how neatly its sound suggests its meaning: "scrimp" hints at stinginess and "shank" hints at slinking off on one's legs.

Synonyms: shirks, malingers, skives, dodges, slacks

Antonyms: works, labors, toils, perseveres, applies