dodge
Preserved but no longer current.
A cunning trick. "DODGE, that homely but expressive phrase."—Sir Hugh Cairns on the Reform Bill, 2nd March, 1859. Anglo-Saxon, DEOGIAN, to colour, to conceal. The TIDY DODGE, as it is called by street-folk, consists in dressing up a family clean and tidy, and parading in the streets to excite compassion and obtain alms.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “dodge” mean?
A cunning trick. "DODGE, that homely but expressive phrase."—Sir Hugh Cairns on the Reform Bill, 2nd March, 1859. Anglo-Saxon, DEOGIAN, to colour, to conceal. The TIDY DODGE, as it is called by street-folk, consists in dressing up a family clean and tidy, and parading in the streets to excite compassion and obtain alms.
Is “dodge” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.