# A phrase for being a slacker at work **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 2, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584 "2012-03-02T21:17:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Saber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Monkey\_Saber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Saber)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/1 "2012-03-02T21:17:19Z")
I am not sure if this is the right place for the question… I had a boss from hell once, and when I was transitioning to another role (because I couldnt work with her anymore) she made a comment to be, that ended up causing a huge issue with upper management and her. For the life of me, I cant remember what her exact words were. I just found out that she is transfering to another role, and she has been telling people the wrong answers, not answering emails ect… The issue with her not doing her job is that its affecting me in the current position I am in. I don’t want to get involved in all that mess, but now that I cant remember what is was that was said, its driving me crazy! Can anyone think of another way to say… You have a new position so you dont give a crap about your work. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/2 "2012-03-02T21:31:36Z")
Phoning it in? ---
**Author:** ![Why\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b782af/32.png) [@Why\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_Child)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/3 "2012-03-02T21:36:20Z")
Lackadaisical clocksucker? ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/4 "2012-03-02T21:37:37Z")
Short-timer syndrome? Lame duck? Blowing it off? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/5 "2012-03-02T21:37:40Z")
Coasting? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/6 "2012-03-02T21:53:43Z")
One foot out the door? ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/7 "2012-03-02T23:33:18Z")
Fucking the dog? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/8 "2012-03-02T23:37:21Z")
just marking time ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/9 "2012-03-02T23:54:55Z")
I’ve heard: Clock watcher Phoning it in and Marking time most commonly where I live. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/10 "2012-03-03T00:06:40Z")
“work to rule” ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/11 "2012-03-03T00:11:22Z")
short timer? Counting down the clock? ghosting? ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/12 "2012-03-03T00:33:36Z")
Senioritis. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/13 "2012-03-03T00:39:58Z")
Oh, that’s a short-timer, all right! You’ll hear that phrase in the military A LOT. A service member who is transferring to another duty station in the near future, OR one who is actually leaving the service, goofs off, disappears, or simply states FU or I don’t give a shit. Years and years ago, Jim Beam sold a custom whiskey bottle only available in the Class Six stores (a branch of the military exchange system, sells only booze) overseas. It was a pair of combat boots, with a helmet resting on the tops of the boots. Just for short timers! Those lovely workplace traits are often seen in civil service employees who are simply marking time until they retire. For the civil service employees who ACTUALLY do their jobs, they know which ones to avoid at all costs. The name for the goof-offs is “civil service clowns.” ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/14 "2012-03-03T00:41:04Z")
Maybe the word you’re looking for is [**sinecure**](http://www.jedword.com/2010/10/21/sinecure-a-paid-position-requiring-no-work-in-return-for-compensation/). It refers to a certain kind of job, not the kind of the person who has the job. It means a job where you don’t have to do anything really. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/15 "2012-03-03T01:00:09Z")
I want to be a sinecure when I grow up. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/16 "2012-03-03T02:17:01Z")
Piker? As in “We want winners here, not pikers. A piker walks at the bell. A piker asks how much vacation time you get in the first year.” -Boiler Room It is also a derogatory term for gypsies or “Irish Travelers” in the UK, implying that they are lazy and shiftless. ie “It turned out that the sweet-talking, tattoo-sporting pikey was a gypsy bare-knuckle boxing champion.” -Snatch ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/17 "2012-03-03T02:31:19Z")
In the UK I’ve often heard it called “demob-happy”. The phrase is from WWII (or I?) when conscripts knew they were just about to be demobilised, so went into slacker mode. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/18 "2012-03-03T02:37:57Z")
goldbricking? ---
**Author:** ![rhythmonly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@rhythmonly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhythmonly)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/19 "2012-03-06T19:47:24Z")
Another Military term for a person like that is “No-Load Piece Of Shit”. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584/20 "2012-03-06T20:09:40Z")
In our office, we just called him Bob… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-phrase-for-being-a-slacker-at-work/614584.md?page=2)