Verb | Work Avoidance / Responsibility Evasion
Encyclopedia of British Slang
SKIVE
Verb | Mild | Work Avoidance / Responsibility Evasion
SKIVE Pronunciation: /ska?v/ Part of Speech: Verb Severity Level: Mild Category: Work Avoidance / Responsibility Evasion
Core Definition
Skive means:
To avoid work
To skip school
To dodge responsibility
To disappear from duty
It implies deliberate avoidance.
Linguistic Origins
Skive likely derives from older British dialect meaning to shirk or evade.
It became common in school and workplace slang in the 20th century.
It remains widely used.
Usage Contexts
School:
Hes skiving.
Work:
Stop skiving.
Casual absence:
Skived off early.
It suggests intentional avoidance.
Emotional Register
Skive carries mild disapproval.
But often humour.
It is rarely severe.
Tone Variations
Playful:
Bit of a skive.
Critical:
Hes always skiving.
Admiring:
Nice skive.
Tone defines morality.
Comparison with Related Terms
Pulling a sickie fake illness
Mucking about distraction
Skive absence
Skive implies more calculated avoidance.
Psychological Function
Skive reflects resistance to routine.
It acknowledges burnout.
It normalises minor rebellion.
Cultural Insight
Skiving reflects Britains ambivalent work culture.
Graft is praised.
Skiving is quietly tolerated.
Final Assessment
Skive is:
Rebellious
Mildly critical
School-rooted
Enduring
It dodges duty.
With a grin.
Skive.
EXPANDED ENTRY 105
Alan Nafzger was born in Lubbock, Texas, the son Swiss immigrants. He grew up on a dairy in Windthorst, north central Texas. He earned degrees from Midwestern State University (B.A. 1985) and Texas State University (M.A. 1987). University College Dublin (Ph.D. 1991). Dr. Nafzger has entertained and educated young people in Texas colleges for 37 years. Nafzger is best known for his dark novels and experimental screenwriting. His best know scripts to date are Lenin’s Body, produced in Russia by A-Media and Sea and Sky produced in The Philippines in the Tagalog language. In 1986, Nafzger wrote the iconic feminist western novel, Gina of Quitaque. Contact: editor@prat.uk
