PhrasesHub

Swing the lead

    Definitions

      • avoid work or responsibility
        Describe someone who is being lazy or shirking their duties

      • deceive or mislead
        Describe someone who is trying to trick or fool others

    Examples of Swing the lead

    • The sales executive was caught swinging the lead during negotiations with the client.

      In this context, swinging the lead means deliberately trying to deceive or mislead someone, usually to gain an advantage. In business negotiations, it may involve exaggerating the benefits of one's product or service, or downplaying the competition's offerings.

    • Tom's excuse for being late to work every morning was starting to swing the lead.

      Here, swinging the lead implies that Tom's excuse has become increasingly flimsy and unconvincing, making it more and more difficult for him to get away with his tardiness.

    • The president's speechwriter was accused of swinging the lead by inserting false information into his boss's speeches.

      This use of swinging the lead highlights the seriousness of falsifying or distorting facts for personal gain or advantage, especially in a political or corporate context.

    • The football coach warned his team not to swing the lead during the big game, or they would face severe consequences.

      In this case, swinging the lead means losing focus, becoming complacent or overconfident, and potentially blowing a winning position, which can sometimes happen in sports, especially in high-pressure situations.

    • The sales representative swung the lead during the presentation to impress the potential clients, but it backfired as they became skeptical of his exaggerated claims.

      To "swing the lead" is to deceive or cheat, typically by making false or exaggerated claims. In this example, the sales representative was trying to make his product seem more attractive than it really was by making false or exaggerated claims. However, instead of impressing the potential clients, his exaggerations caused them to become skeptical and lose confidence in his product.

    • The politician was accused of swinging the lead by accepting bribes in exchange for political favors.

      The politician was accused of taking bribes in exchange for political favors, which is a form of deception or dishonesty. By accepting bribes, the politician was able to gain an advantage or benefit that he was not entitled to, and this gave him an unfair advantage over his competitors.

    • The detective suspected that the witness was swinging the lead when she gave inconsistent statements during the trial.

      In this example, "swinging the lead" refers to giving false or misleading information in order to deceive or mislead others. In this case, the witness gave inconsistent statements during the trial, which made the detective suspect that she was intentionally giving misleading information in order to help a particular side in the trial.

    • The employee was caught swinging the lead when he submitted false invoices to the company in order to increase his own profits.

      This example refers to the action of submitting false invoices in order to deceive the company and gain an unfair advantage for oneself. By submitting false invoices, the employee was able to increase his own profits at the expense of the company, which is a form of dishonesty and cheating.In all of these examples, "swinging the lead" refers to the action of deceiving or misleading others, typically in order to gain an unfair advantage or benefit for oneself. Whether it's a sales representative making false claims, a politician accepting bribes, a witness giving misleading information, or an employee submitting false invoices, the common thread is that these actions involve dishonesty, deception, or cheating in order to achieve some personal gain.


    Conclusion

    The idiom "swing the lead" has two main meanings: to avoid work or responsibility and to deceive or mislead. It is often used to describe someone who is being lazy or trying to trick others.

    In the first sense, it is used to criticize someone for not doing their fair share of work or for avoiding their responsibilities. In the second sense, it is used to call out someone for trying to deceive or mislead others. Overall, the idiom is used to highlight dishonest or lazy behavior.

    Origin of "Swing the lead"

    The origin of the idiom "swing the lead" is nautical. In the past, sailors were responsible for measuring the depth of the water by dropping a lead weight attached to a line into the sea. If a sailor was seen swinging the lead weight instead of letting it drop naturally, it would give a false reading of the depth. This dishonest behavior was not only lazy but also dangerous, as it could lead to the ship running aground.

    Over time, the idiom "swing the lead" came to be used figuratively to describe any deceptive or lazy behavior, not just in a nautical context. It is now commonly used in everyday language to criticize someone for avoiding work or trying to deceive others.