Hi all,
Could you please give me some informal/slang terms referring to a person who's unwilling to do anything that needs effort?
Would 'lackadaisical' be one of those words? (I've also heard 'lacksadaisical'!)
Printable View
Hi all,
Could you please give me some informal/slang terms referring to a person who's unwilling to do anything that needs effort?
Would 'lackadaisical' be one of those words? (I've also heard 'lacksadaisical'!)
'Lackadaisical' (no s) implies a lack of care and attention as much as effort, so is not ideal for 'listless', which is more like 'sluggish', lethargic', 'lifeless'. I can't at the moment think of any particularly apt informal/slang expressions.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mehrgan
Quote:
Originally Posted by fivejedjon
Many thanks dear fivedjon. I seem to have a little bit problem differentiating between the two. Would you please kindly give me some situational examples?
(Is 'Lackadaisical' related to one's mood, and so temporary?)
Thannks.
Neither word is necessarily temporary.
1. Fred (a teacher) is fine once he gets into the classroom, but he is very lackadaisical with his paperwork. His files are always in a mess.
2. George is recovering from his loss, but he is still rather listless. I think it's going to be some time before he's back to his old lively self.
I feel that 'listless' does nor work in #1, and that 'lackadaisical' is totally wrong in #2.
However, I have been checking with various online dictionaries since I posted my first response, and none of them agrees with me. This may be just my own idiosyncratic idea. Let's see if other members have any thoughts on this.
You used to be able to say 'fagged' or 'fagged out' for listless, but that's different from what you've actually asked.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mehrgan
This site has some alternatives.
fag out - definition of fag out by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.
A person such as you describe is a 'bludger', or is simply lazy.
http://www.anu.edu.au/ANDC/ozwords/D...1/Bludger.html
I strongly suggest NOT using this in North America or you'll come across as very offensive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Raymott
Lazy, bum, slacker, loafer...Quote:
Could you please give me some informal/slang terms referring to a person who's unwilling to do anything that needs effort?
In what part of the world would lackadaisical be slang?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mehrgan
Non sequitur: Reminds me of the Monty Python sketch "Upperclass Twit of the Year".
:up: The errant* s (sadly not uncommon) is presumably an attempt to impose on the word an unlikely etymology, based on 'lax'.Quote:
Originally Posted by fivejedjon
b
PS *The word 'errant' probably doesn't have the primary meaning I intended, but I've left it because it's quite appropriate anyway, in that the letter wanders in and out of the word. What I meant was 'erroneous' (which has the same Latin root - hence my slip :oops:)
PS The term 'lead-swinger' could be relevant in some contexts (though it means neither listless nor lackadaisical). A lead-swinger, originally was someone who - when people were volunteering for various nautical duties - opted to 'swing the lead'. This was an easy job, using a plumb-line with knots in it every 6 feet to measure the depth of the surrounding water - and if, for example, there was 12 feet of water he would call out 'mark twain'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain#Pen_names
Now, though, any shirker can be called a 'lead-swinger'.
b
Why is "lackadaisical" wrong?Quote:
Originally Posted by fivejedjon