our Brits may have a better answer for you bill, but this skiver is a different word; from the verb skive, of military issue, To evade a duty, to shirk; to avoid work by absenting oneself, to play truant. Also with off. [perh. ad. Fr. esquiver, to dodge, slink away, but see skive(2), To move lightly and quickly; to dart -- of obscure origin]