Swinging the lead/leg

Posted by David FG April 19, 2005In reply to Swinging the lead/leg posted by Trisha on April 18, 2005

What does the expression "Swinging the lead/leg" mean and come from?

It means skiving, being idle, avoiding work. It comes from the days when depth soundings on ships were taken with a lead weight on a line. The lazy leadsman would sit idly swinging the lead rather than actually getting on with the job.

DFG