The phrase “slacking off” has become one of the most common colloquial phrases in English in recent years.
This could be due, in part, to the fact that technology plays more of a role in our lives than it ever has and therefore we are tempted to put things off until the last minute.“Slacking off” means just that: putting things off until the last minute, being lazy, procrastinating.”
This phrase may seem odd to the person beginning to learn English because the word “slacking” is not a common word in itself. “Slack” can be translated as “lento” or “folgado” which, in essence, is the noun form of the phrasal verb “slacking off.”
If someone is “slacking off” they are “folgando” or being “folgados” or “lentos.” Why the word “off” was chosen to complete the phrasal verb is not certain, but that is not as important as learning the meaning of the phrase as a whole. Here is an example of how it is used:
If you would stop slacking off, maybe you would finish your homework before your parents get home.
Here is another example of how this phrase is used:
http://www.sltrib.com/midvalley/ci_13804505
(see the title of the article) This article tells about a woman who is running for mayor and is working to improve the city in an effort to get more votes.
