Definition

Noun: - A person who avoids work or duty; a shirker: "scrimshanker" refers to someone who habitually evades responsibilities or tasks, often through laziness or deceit.

Usage

• This word is a noun used to label a person who shirks. It is typically used in informal or colloquial contexts, often with a tone of criticism or disapproval.
• It functions as a subject or object in a sentence.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used in a more figurative sense to describe someone who avoids difficult situations or unpleasant tasks beyond just physical labor.
  • In the debate, he was a total scrimshanker, dodging every tough question.

Variants and Related Words

• Scrimshank (verb): To shirk one's duty or avoid work.
  • He tried to scrimshank by pretending to be ill.

Synonyms

• Shirker
• Slacker
• Idler
• Goldbrick (informal)
• Layabout (chiefly British)

Antonyms

• Worker
• Hard worker
• Diligent person
• Stakhanovite (historical, denotes an exceptionally productive worker)

Related Phrases/Idioms

• While not a phrasal verb, the behavior is often described with phrases like:
  • To skive off (British informal): To avoid work or duty.

    • He's always trying to skive off early.
  • To goldbrick: To shirk responsibilities.

    • He spent the afternoon goldbricking instead of filing the reports.

Noun

1. a shirker