lead swinger en · NOUN
Etymology
From lead + swinger. * A pre-First World War nautical term for an easy job aboard a ship, later adopted by Canadian soldiers to refer to those shirking their duties.
Meanings
-
(derogatory) A person who "swings the lead"
And indeed, malingerers and "lead-swingers" (a prewar nautical term for an easy job aboard a ship, adopted by soldiers to refer to those shirking their duties) were mixed among the truly sick. There was a whole bunch of us - various complaints - some real but most of them "lead swingers," trying to dodge a working party.
2008, Shock Troops: Canadians Fighting The Great War 1917 - 1918, →ISBN, page 239:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| lead swingers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |