verb. (Eton College: obsolete).—See quot.
1857–64. J. BRINSLEY RICHARDS, Seven Years at Eton (1883), viii. ‘SHIRKING’ was a marvellous invention. Fellows were allowed to boat on the river, but all the approaches to it were out of bounds; we might walk on the Terrace of Windsor Castle, but it was unlawful to be caught in the streets of Windsor which led to the Terrace…. If happening to be out of bounds you saw a master approaching, you had to SHIRK—which was done by merely stepping into a shop. The master might see you, but he was supposed not to see you…. The absurdity of this system was that to buy anything in the shops in High Street, where all the school tradesmen dwelt, we were obliged to go out of bounds.
TO SHIRK IN, verb. phr. (Winchester).—To walk into water instead of plunging. TO SHIRK OUT = to go out contrary to rules. Whence SHIRKSTER = one who shirks.
