shuffle off

British  

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to thrust off or put aside

   shuffle off responsibility

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shuffle off Idioms  

1. Get rid of, act evasively, as in They've tried to shuffle off public inquiries about the safety of their planes . This usage, dating from about 1600, also appears in the oft-quoted shuffle off this mortal coil , from Shakespeare's Hamlet (3:1), where it means “become freed from the turmoil of life,” that is, “die.”

2. Move away reluctantly, dragging one's feet, as in The prisoners shuffled off to their work detail . [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

I watched Grandpa shuffle off toward the barn and disappear inside.

From Literature

"Maybe, by the time I shuffle off this mortal coil, there might be a little more awareness… of the need to bring things back together again," he says.

From BBC

Lawrence: Having been there, I was always blown away, when somebody announces their retirement, you expect them to shuffle off into the ether.

From Los Angeles Times

“Let’s go,” he says to his cronies, and they shuffle off.

From Literature

Do not be fooled by suggestions Australia have unveiled a list of geriatrics, ready to shuffle off to a cricketing retirement home, tending the garden in their baggy green caps.

From BBC

Related Words

• avert
• bypass
• dodge
• escape
• evade
• fend off
• shun
• sidestep