body swerve

Another term from football, where it means the act of getting past an opposing player by a quick movement of the whole body out of his reach. In general parlance it is used to mean any kind of avoiding action, any instance of getting out of doing something: "Ah'm that knackered Ah think Ah'll just gie the night class a body swerve." It can also be used as a verb: "Fancy body-swervin the union meetin an nickin oot for a pint?" This can occur in the shortened form, swerve: "Ah never saw ye at the aul dear's party: how'dye manage tae swerve that?"

© Michael Munro