How Do You Spell SWING THE LEAD?

Pronunciation: [swˈɪŋ ðə lˈiːd] (IPA)

The phrase "swing the lead" is an idiom that means to shirk responsibilities or to feign illness. The spelling of the word "lead" in this phrase is often mistakenly spelled as "led", probably due to the similar pronunciation of both words. However, the correct spelling is "lead", which is pronounced as /led/, with a long "e" sound. This can be confusing for non-native English speakers who may not be familiar with the irregularities of English spelling.

SWING THE LEAD Meaning and Definition

1. To "swing the lead" is an idiomatic phrase with origins in nautical terminology. It refers to the act of shirking work or feigning illness in order to avoid one's responsibilities or duty. This phrase is commonly used in British English and dates back to the 19th century.

   The term "swing" in this context means to avoid or evade, while "lead" refers to a weight used to determine the depth of water. In the maritime industry, sailors used lead lines to measure the depth of the water they were sailing in. The phrase refers to a sailor deliberately and lazily swinging the lead line instead of performing their actual work duties, thus showing a lack of motivation or a desire to avoid laborious tasks.

   Metaphorically, "swing the lead" has come to represent the act of malingering or deliberately wasting time in a work or social setting. It implies a deliberate effort to appear busy while accomplishing minimal or no actual work. It suggests laziness, slacking off, or attempting to deceive others through idleness or feigned illness.

   This phrase is commonly used in informal contexts to describe someone who is avoiding work or responsibility. It carries negative connotations and may convey a sense of annoyance or frustration with the individual's lack of effort.

Common Misspellings for SWING THE LEAD

• awing the lead
• zwing the lead
• xwing the lead
• dwing the lead
• ewing the lead
• wwing the lead
• sqing the lead
• saing the lead
• ssing the lead
• seing the lead
• s3ing the lead
• s2ing the lead
• swung the lead
• swjng the lead
• swkng the lead
• swong the lead
• sw9ng the lead
• sw8ng the lead
• swibg the lead
• swimg the lead

Idioms with the word SWING THE LEAD

• swing the lead The idiom "swing the lead" means to pretend to be ill or to avoid work by feigning illness or laziness.