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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Usage
"desk skiving" and "faffing about"
Two new-to-me Britishisms, from an article in yesterday's Register:
(quote) http://www.theregister.com/2005/04/13/desk skiving/ The Register Odds and Sods Bootnotes
Brit workers excel at skiving
By Lester Haines
Published Wednesday 13th April 2005 15:06 GMT
New figures have shown that Brit workers lead the world in "desk skiving" - the art of aimlessly faffing about at their posts when they should be lining shareholders' pockets with filthy lucre. Shockingly, the maths demonstrate that a third of workers may be taking fourteen days extra hols a year while a hard core of eight per cent admit that they are texting, doing personal emails or surfing the web for interesting stories on skiving British workers for an astounding 12 weeks per annum.
(/quote)
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor
For email, replace numbers with English alphabet.
(quote) http://www.theregister.com/2005/04/13/desk skiving/ The Register Odds and Sods Bootnotes
Brit workers excel at skiving
By Lester Haines
Published Wednesday 13th April 2005 15:06 GMT
New figures have shown that Brit workers lead the world in "desk skiving" - the art of aimlessly faffing about at their posts when they should be lining shareholders' pockets with filthy lucre. Shockingly, the maths demonstrate that a third of workers may be taking fourteen days extra hols a year while a hard core of eight per cent admit that they are texting, doing personal emails or surfing the web for interesting stories on skiving British workers for an astounding 12 weeks per annum.
(/quote)
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor
For email, replace numbers with English alphabet.
Top answer
com/2005/04/13/desk skiving/ The Register Odds and Sods Bootnotes ... emails or surfing the web for interesting stories on skiving British workers for an astounding 12 weeks per annum. (/quote)[/nq] Skiving is a normal word which I think we've discussed before.
- com/2005/04/13/desk skiving/ The Register Odds and Sods Bootnotes ...
- emails or surfing the web for interesting stories on skiving British workers for an astounding 12 weeks per annum.
- (/quote)[/nq] Skiving is a normal word which I think we've discussed before.
- I've never heard of desk skiving, but it's obvious what it means.
- Faffing about is an extremely common term, indeed I said it myself earlier today after an unsatisfactory project review.
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45 Answers
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CyberCypher had it:
[nq:1]Two new-to-me Britishisms, from an article in yesterday's Register: (quote) http://www.theregister.com/2005/04/13/desk skiving/ The Register Odds and Sods Bootnotes ... emails or surfing the web for interesting stories on skiving British workers for an a
[nq:1]Two new-to-me Britishisms, from an article in yesterday's Register: (quote) http://www.theregister.com/2005/04/13/desk skiving/ The Register Odds and Sods Bootnotes ... emails or surfing the web for interesting stories on skiving British workers for an a
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the Omrud wrote on 15 Apr 2005:
[nq:1]CyberCypher had it:[/nq]
[nq:2]Two new-to-me Britishisms, from an article in yesterday's Register: (quote) ... British workers for an astounding 12 weeks per annum. (/quote)[/nq]
[nq:1]Skiving is a normal word which I think we've discussed before. I've never heard of desk skiving, but it's obvious what it means. Faffing about is an extremely common
[nq:1]CyberCypher had it:[/nq]
[nq:2]Two new-to-me Britishisms, from an article in yesterday's Register: (quote) ... British workers for an astounding 12 weeks per annum. (/quote)[/nq]
[nq:1]Skiving is a normal word which I think we've discussed before. I've never heard of desk skiving, but it's obvious what it means. Faffing about is an extremely common
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[nq:1]CyberCypher had it:[/nq]
[nq:2]Two new-to-me Britishisms, from an article in yesterday's Register: (quote) ... British workers for an astounding 12 weeks per annum. (/quote)[/nq]
[nq:1]Skiving is a normal word which I think we've discussed before. I've never heard of desk skiving, but it's obvious what it means. Faffing about is an extremely common term, indeed I said it myself earli
[nq:2]Two new-to-me Britishisms, from an article in yesterday's Register: (quote) ... British workers for an astounding 12 weeks per annum. (/quote)[/nq]
[nq:1]Skiving is a normal word which I think we've discussed before. I've never heard of desk skiving, but it's obvious what it means. Faffing about is an extremely common term, indeed I said it myself earli
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[nq:1]CyberCypher had it:[/nq]
[nq:2]Two new-to-me Britishisms, from an article in yesterday's Register:[/nq]
[nq:1]Skiving is a normal word which I think we've discussed before. I've never heard of desk skiving, but it's obvious what it means. Faffing about is an extremely common term, indeed I said it myself earlier today after an unsatisfactory project review.[/nq]
I've always spelt
[nq:2]Two new-to-me Britishisms, from an article in yesterday's Register:[/nq]
[nq:1]Skiving is a normal word which I think we've discussed before. I've never heard of desk skiving, but it's obvious what it means. Faffing about is an extremely common term, indeed I said it myself earlier today after an unsatisfactory project review.[/nq]
I've always spelt
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[nq:1]CyberCypher had it:[/nq]
[nq:2]Two new-to-me Britishisms, from an article in yesterday's Register:[/nq]
[nq:1]Skiving is a normal word which I think we've discussed before. I've never heard of desk skiving, but it's obvious what it means. Faffing about is an extremely common term, indeed I said it myself earlier today after an unsatisfactory project review.[/nq]
I've always spelt
[nq:2]Two new-to-me Britishisms, from an article in yesterday's Register:[/nq]
[nq:1]Skiving is a normal word which I think we've discussed before. I've never heard of desk skiving, but it's obvious what it means. Faffing about is an extremely common term, indeed I said it myself earlier today after an unsatisfactory project review.[/nq]
I've always spelt
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[nq:2]CyberCypher had it:[/nq]
[nq:2]Skiving is a normal word which I think we've discussed ... said it myself earlier today after an unsatisfactory project review.[/nq]
[nq:1]I've always spelt "faffing", "pfaffing", with the "p" silent as in swimming pool.[/nq]
Relating to Johann Friedrich Pfaff?
John Dean
Oxford
[nq:2]Skiving is a normal word which I think we've discussed ... said it myself earlier today after an unsatisfactory project review.[/nq]
[nq:1]I've always spelt "faffing", "pfaffing", with the "p" silent as in swimming pool.[/nq]
Relating to Johann Friedrich Pfaff?
John Dean
Oxford
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It can't possibly be related to Pfaff, that's too much like the sewing machine and in my book that's too much like work.
But I can remember 'faffing' as used by my mother (usually critically, imagine that) for well, as long as I can remember.
And skiving suffice it to say, I read the OP ahem at my desk. Where I'm not, of course, now, because I don't faff around that much at my
But I can remember 'faffing' as used by my mother (usually critically, imagine that) for well, as long as I can remember.
And skiving suffice it to say, I read the OP ahem at my desk. Where I'm not, of course, now, because I don't faff around that much at my
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[nq:1]Andrew Gwilliam had it:[/nq]
[nq:2]Oh, you're skiving off this week?[/nq]
[nq:1]Hmmm. To me, "skiving off" is transitive and requires a thing off from which one is skiving.[/nq]
Not to me. In fact, the only thing that people "skive off" is work, so any object would be redundant.
[nq:1]"skiving" on its own is both intransitive and transitive and is my more normal use.[/nq]
[nq:2]Oh, you're skiving off this week?[/nq]
[nq:1]Hmmm. To me, "skiving off" is transitive and requires a thing off from which one is skiving.[/nq]
Not to me. In fact, the only thing that people "skive off" is work, so any object would be redundant.
[nq:1]"skiving" on its own is both intransitive and transitive and is my more normal use.[/nq]
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Mike Barnes had it:
Tomorrow I plan to skive off orchestra.
David
==
replace usenet with the
Tomorrow I plan to skive off orchestra.
David
==
replace usenet with the
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[nq:1]It can't possibly be related to Pfaff, that's too much like the sewing machine and in my book that's too ... desk. Where I'm not, of course, now, because I don't faff around that much at my desk. Of course not.[/nq]
Speaking of sewing machines, this is one disorganized thread. Some points need made, I think:
1) faffing (not pfaffing) about means being ineffectual in an obvious
Speaking of sewing machines, this is one disorganized thread. Some points need made, I think:
1) faffing (not pfaffing) about means being ineffectual in an obvious
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