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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

pencil whip en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic) To approve a document without actually knowing or reviewing what it is that is being approved.
  2. (idiomatic) To complete a form, record, or document without having performed the implied work or without supporting data or evidence.
    • So, if you pencil-whipped that last survey, you've probably shot yourself in the foot, according to Stanley. 1998, Airman, volume 42, page 26:
    • “Nothing should be 9:00, 9:15, 9:30, because the auditors say you're pencil-whipping it. And truth be known, we do pencil-whip it. We can't add by fifteen because that really puts you in a bind. Add by fourteen. That looks pretty come audit time. […] 2018, Shane Bauer, American Prison:
    • Knowing the auditors were coming in just a week, we chose to pencil whip the quarterly inventory forms for the last year.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
pencil whips Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
pencil whipped Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
pencil whipped Tense=Past lexicographic
pencil whipping Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Synonyms

rubber stamp