do a never
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To mess about; to idle instead of working.
Register: dated, slang
Examples
The Chief Buffer has got a howl on now because he got a blast from Torps, as so many of the part of ship hands were doing a never on the messdecks instead of working the main derrick.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “do a never” mean?
To mess about; to idle instead of working.
Is “do a never” formal or informal?
do a never is generally dated, slang.