Street
duck and dive
What does duck and dive mean?
Cockney rhyming slang for 'skive' (avoid work) and generally to dodge and hustle.
"He's always ducking and diving, never does a proper day's work."
Origin
'Dive' rhymes with 'skive'; the phrase also evokes literal dodging.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'duck and dive' mean?
It's Cockney rhyming slang for 'skive' (to dodge work), and more broadly describes someone who wheels, deals and dodges to get by.
How do you use 'ducking and diving'?
You'd say someone is 'always ducking and diving' to mean they scrape a living through dodges and hustles rather than steady work.
Where does 'duck and dive' come from?
'Dive' rhymes with 'skive', and the phrase also plays on the literal image of ducking and dodging.
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