duck shove
Regional / Slang / LowInformal, Colloquial, Regional Slang
Definition
Meaning
(Australian & New Zealand slang, chiefly verb) To evade responsibility or pass an unpleasant task to someone else.
A shirking of duties; the act of passing off one's own work or problem onto another person, often in a sly or underhanded manner.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used in Australian and New Zealand English. Carries a negative connotation of laziness or dishonesty. Often implies a knowing avoidance of something that is rightly one's own responsibility.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Not standard in British or American English. It is a regionalism of Australian and New Zealand English. British and American speakers would not recognize or use this term.
Connotations
In its native regions, it connotes a blameworthy act of dodging work. Elsewhere, it is either unknown or recognized as an Antipodean slang term.
Frequency
Zero frequency in British and American corpora. Low but recognizable frequency in Australian and New Zealand speech and informal writing.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] duck shoves [Object (task/responsibility)] onto [Indirect Object (person)][Subject] is duck shovingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “pass the buck (closest equivalent)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Informal critique of management or colleagues avoiding difficult decisions or tasks.
Academic
Virtually never used.
Everyday
Used in Antipodean casual conversation to complain about someone not pulling their weight, e.g., in a shared house or group project.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He's always trying to duck shove the paperwork onto the new intern.
American English
- Don't try to duck shove that client meeting onto me; it's your project.
adverb
British English
- He handled the complaint duck-shove, by forwarding it to a different department.
American English
- She acted duck-shove, quickly redirecting the query before anyone noticed.
adjective
British English
- That was a duck-shove move if I've ever seen one.
American English
- His duck-shove attitude is why the team doesn't trust him.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He tried to duck shove the cleaning onto his brother.
- No duck shoving! Everyone does their own dishes.
- The government's response was seen as a blatant duck shove of the environmental issue.
- She accused him of duck shoving his managerial responsibilities onto junior staff.
- The corporate culture was rife with strategic duck shoving, leading to chronic accountability gaps.
- His adept duck shoving of the failing project ensured the blame landed squarely on his deputy's shoulders.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a duck quickly shoving a heavy box towards another duck with its beak, then waddling away innocently. The duck is shoving its duty away.
Conceptual Metaphor
RESPONSIBILITY IS AN UNWANTED PHYSICAL OBJECT (that can be pushed to someone else).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as 'утка толкать'. The phrase is an idiomatic unit.
- The closest conceptual equivalent might be 'свалить вину/работу' or 'уклониться'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it outside Australian/NZ contexts where it is not understood.
- Confusing it with 'buck-passing' (which is more widely understood).
- Spelling as 'duck-shove' (usually open compound).
Practice
Quiz
In which variety of English is 'duck shove' a recognised informal term?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is not etymologically related to the bird. 'Duck' here is the verb meaning to avoid or dodge, combined with 'shove' (to push).
No, it is exclusively informal, colloquial slang. Use more formal equivalents like 'delegate inappropriately', 'evade responsibility', or 'shirk'.
They are very similar. 'Duck shove' is more specific to Australian/NZ English and can imply a more physical or abrupt passing of responsibility. 'Pass the buck' is more universally understood in English.
It is not swear word, but it is strongly critical. Accusing someone of duck shoving implies they are being lazy, dishonest, or cowardly in avoiding their duties.