Work?

Thought I’d skive off today, wahey! I have some holiday imminent but feel as my boss Barry is on his hols along with Jon the the plumber and I’m being given any old crap, it’s time for a break.
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And I quote:
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Skive is British slang for avoiding work by staying away or leaving early; it’s often heard in the form skive off; US readers may find it in British works such as the more recent ones in the Harry Potter series. It seems to have been military slang from the time of the First World War and the common assumption is that the British army in France borrowed it from French esquiver, to slink away. The usual caveats apply, since that origin is informed guesswork, and there is another possibility an English dialect verb meaning to move quickly.

Add comment July 6th, 2007