# duck and Dive

idiom · Slang

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/duck-and-dive
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

skive

## Examples

- He likes to duck and dive instead of doing his work.
- The employee spent the afternoon ducking and diving to avoid the manager's request for the report.
- Rather than addressing the mounting backlog of tasks, he spent the entire week ducking and diving to escape any real responsibility.

## Origin

A duck when diving is hidden beneath the pond's surface and to duck is to avoid a blow by a quick dropping movement.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.