can kicker
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Can kicking attested as an activity of idle urban youths since the late 19th century.[1] Modern sense of "procrastinate" dates from the 1980s.[2]
Noun
[edit]can kicker (plural can kickers)
- Someone or something who is can kicking or who kicks the can down the road. I.e. someone or something who is adept at delaying things, putting off a difficult issue or decision, typically on a continual basis. For example, 'The US and Europe should be glad to be led by a bunch of can-kickers'.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ “The City-Road Burglary”, in The Morning Post, number 32841, London, 1877 September 29, page 3: “He was standing at his door about 20 minutes past twelve on the night in question, when he saw a party kicking a can down the road. There were six of them. He saw one of the young fellows get over the hoarding and fall over” https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-post-kicking-the-can-down-th/24615282/
- ^ https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/kick-the-can-down-the-road-history-meaning
- ^ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/03/us-europe-can-kickers-leaders