SWING THE LEAD - ORIGIN

SWING THE LEAD.


When sailing close to shore it is important to keep an eye on the depth of the water. In the age of sailing ships this was done by dropping a line over the side of the ship with a lead weight fastened to the end. To swing the lead was considered an easy job and eventually became a term meaning one who is either avoiding hard work or taking and easy option. Hence in modern terms if you ‘swing the lead’ you are slacking off.

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