to swan
Preserved but no longer current.
A word of doubtful origin much used in N.W. Europe m World War II. It denoted taking a vehicle off for a drive for one's own amusement when off duty. It came to be applied to any apparently aimless move- ments, e.g. one who drove his tank about without apparent purpose might be described as "swanning about the battlefield.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to swan” mean?
A word of doubtful origin much used in N.W. Europe m World War II. It denoted taking a vehicle off for a drive for one's own amusement when off duty. It came to be applied to any apparently aimless move- ments, e.g. one who drove his tank about without apparent purpose might be described as "swanning about the battlefield.
Is “to swan” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.