Skive

Skive has the following meanings:

• To skive is British slang for the practice of avoiding responsibilities because you want to do something more fun or just don't want to do what you should be doing. "Skiving", which may involve actual work, done slowly or unwillingly, should be distinguished from "skiving off", which involves absence from work.
  • In the context of schooling, this is known as truancy.
  • In the military, this falls short of both absence without leave (also known as "going AWOL") and desertion.
• Skive also means to cut into thin layers, as to split leather parallel to its thickness, or in the boot and shoe industry to reduce the thickness of the edges of two pieces of leather that are to be stitched together, feathering them by shaving or paring so that a clumsy thick seam is avoided. Skiving was originally done by hand using a knife and required a great deal of skill to reduce the substance so that the overlapping portion is not clumsy, without weakening the substance materially for strength. In the 19th century skiving machines were invented which reduced the skill involved and increased productivity, but considerable skill and experience is still needed because the leather pieces, often cut into intricate shapes for the uppers of brogued shoes, must be guided through the machine by hand. Operators of these machines are referred to as "professional skivers" which is regarded as very funny by the many people who only know the slang use of the term. See also skiving machine.
• Skive (Denmark) is a place in Denmark.

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