ditch work

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "ditch work" is not standard in written English and may cause confusion.
It can be used informally to refer to skipping or avoiding work, often in a casual context. Example: "I decided to ditch work today and go to the beach instead."

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

It would continue to grant Mr. Ninivaggi, who oversees the largest mosquito-control program in the Northeast, considerable leeway in deciding where and whether ditch work is necessary.

The New York Times

Cosmo quotes a survey by Youth Intelligence, a market research firm in New York, that finds that 68percentt of 3,000 married and single young women said "they'd ditch work if they could afford to.

The New York Times

"Unless a person was willing, as Chatterton and Kohler were, to ditch work and sneak off to Washington," Mr. Kurson writes, "chisel away at mountains of opaque original documents, sleep in fleabag motels, eat street-vendor hot dogs and run outside every two hours to shovel quarters into a parking meter, he would presume the history books to be correct".

The New York Times - Books

There were those among the largest crowd (45,991) in the four-year history of Citizens Bank Park who woke up on a glorious Indian summer morning and decided to ditch work and cut school, all in the name of cheering on the Phillies, the franchise with the most losses in the history of professional sports.

The New York Times - Sports

If you can, ditch work.

Vice

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Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

There were construction workers who ditched work to be there.

The New York Times

It also says that "Charlie Bird means New York," and "Just like you, we dream of ditching work to sip rosé in the park and of hot summer nights all year long".

The New Yorker

Kim Bailey, 34, a software sales executive in New York City, ditched work for a last-minute, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sail in a regatta with friends off the English coast for four days in the summer of 2001.

The New York Times

It's worth noting that mingled with signs like "Bring our troops home, send the Democrats" and "Spread my work ethic, not my wealth" (carried by a surly-lipped chick ditching work, natch) were a fair number of firearm-happy posters like "Let your gun be your companion".

Huffington Post

(The Danes, who claimed Iceland for themselves, complained that the English were setting up entire villages on the island, "putting up tents, digging ditches, working away").

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "ditch work" in informal contexts where a casual tone is appropriate. It's best suited for situations where you're describing a deliberate, often playful, decision to skip work.

Common error

Avoid using "ditch work" in professional emails, formal reports, or when speaking with superiors. Opt for more formal alternatives like "take a day off" or "request leave" in these situations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "ditch work" functions as an informal verb phrase indicating the act of skipping or avoiding one's work responsibilities. Ludwig AI suggests it's not a standard expression, but it's understood in casual contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

64%

Formal & Business

14%

Science

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

7%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while Ludwig AI notes that the phrase "ditch work" isn't strictly standard, it's a commonly used and understood informal expression meaning to skip or avoid work. It's best suited for casual contexts and should be avoided in formal or professional settings. Alternatives like "skip work", "take a day off", or "request leave" may be more appropriate depending on the situation. Ludwig examples show that the expression appears frequently in news and media, reflecting its informal register. Therefore, writers should be mindful of their audience and the overall tone when choosing to use "ditch work".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

skip work

A more common and slightly more formal alternative, directly meaning to not attend work.

call in sick

Implies falsely reporting illness to avoid work.

take a day off

A general term for not working on a particular day, without implying avoidance or negativity.

play hooky

An informal expression, often used in the context of children skipping school, but can apply to work.

go AWOL from work

Uses a military term to describe unauthorized absence from work.

take a personal day

Using allocated personal time off.

be truant from work

Implies a more serious or habitual avoidance of work.

absent oneself from work

A formal way of saying someone is not present at work.

take unauthorized leave

Describes taking time off without permission.

slack off

Focuses on reducing effort while at work, rather than skipping it entirely.

FAQs

What does "ditch work" mean?

"Ditch work" means to skip or avoid going to work, often implying a deliberate and perhaps unauthorized absence. It's an informal way of saying you're not going to fulfill your work responsibilities for a particular day or period.

What can I say instead of "ditch work"?

You can use alternatives like "skip work", "take a day off", or "call in sick" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "ditch work" in a professional setting?

No, "ditch work" is generally not appropriate in professional settings. It's considered informal and can be perceived as unprofessional. Use more formal alternatives like "request leave" or "take a personal day".

How is "ditch work" different from "take a day off"?

"Ditch work" often implies a spontaneous or unauthorized decision to skip work, whereas "take a day off" usually suggests a planned and approved absence.