'sloping shoulders'

[bryanbiggin]

what does the saying 'sloping shoulders' mean

[Quizmonster]

Are you sure you mean a 'saying' or should it just be a 'description'? I've only ever heard it used as the latter to mean shoulders that are not 'square'...ie more or less horizontal/parallel to the ground...but that rise gently from the outer edge of the upper arm to where shoulder meets neck. (If it really is a recently-coined 'saying', my apologies for wasting your time.)

[rja211077]

it is used to describe someone who does not take responsibility for anything. one who has a responsibility is said have a weight on their shoulders, hence if you have sloping shoulders the weight just falls off as soon as it's put on.

[rinkytink]

Agree with rja211077 on that one. We have several people at work who are called 'slopey shoulders' behind their backs !!

[woofgang]

I am known at work (to my face) as "Teflon Shoulders because the work never seems to stick there. BTW did you know that Jame's T Kirk's middle name was Teflon, because he was never beaten by Klingons....

[Quizmonster]

Ah! I quite like the 'responsibility sliding off' idea. I've never heard the phrase used thus in my life...one lives and learns, even at my age!

[gazzawazza]

Yeah, we know it as slopey shoulders too, but I think it has a double meaning which both mean avoiding responsibility. First of all, as rja describes, any responsibility just slides off, but also how about the notion that those who wear epaulettes to signify rank/responsibility being slopey shouldered, ie, the epaulettes shouldn't be there as the person won't make a decision befitting their role thereby avoiding their responsibility whenever it suits them?

I know a few people like that!