In the United States, playing hooky from school is often called skipping school. Lots of other terms for truancy throughout the English-speaking world. In South Africa and India, it’s bunking. In England, you might describe that activity as wagging, kipping, twagging, or skiving. And in Ireland, you’re sometimes said to be mitching. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Regional Words for Skipping School: Bunking, Mitching, Skiving, and Wagging”
We were talking earlier about the expression to bang in sick or to bang out of work.
And it made me think of all those terms, Grant, for skipping school, too, or skipping out of something. You know, in South Africa and India, they say bunking. I’m bunking. In the UK, sometimes you’re wagging or you’re kipping or you’re twagging. You’re skiving. Skiving. Yeah, that’s another one.
And in Ireland, you say I’m mitching. Lots of different ways to get out of class.
Oh, we’d love to collect some more of these. Send us yours, words@waywordradio.org.
