What is "shiftless"

Usage examples of "shiftless".

Sam must have run into that shiftless clairvoyant imp that resided down there in her mind and gotten distracted, she decided, or to give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he was just cautious.

Falls, Tom Shocker told much about himself, and Nat learned that the fellow was one of those shiftless mortals who change from one situation to another.

In the Kussmaul clan, Galligan has created an unforgettable group of shiftless strivers, always just getting by and always looking for an edge, legal or not.

Clearly she must be another than the thriftless, shiftless creature too common in working-class homes.

Chelsea philosopher would probably be a less severe burden to a woman of housewifely instincts than the weak, unmethodical, irresolute, shiftless being that Coleridge had by this time become.

Women, and Children, and the Infirm, are the best Advocates even to the Gods themselves, being the most shiftless Creatures they have made, wherefore the most aptest to move Compassion.

A shiftless fellow, left to his own devices, he performed some wonderful feats, and among the many stories connected with this period of his life is one which describes how he actually ate up a good-sized patch of sugar cane, simply because he found it good to his taste.

In their shiftless lives, the Gurs were masters for knowing the little ways in and out of the city.

She began to hoist her lugsail in a dazed, shiftless fashion, while our two boats drifted slowly to leeward.

When I knew him he was a shiftless young spendthrift, boisterous, goodhearted, full of careless generosities, and pretty conspicuously promising to fool his possibilities away early, and come to nothing.

There was no reason why he should go out of his way to back up a shiftless party like me, yet he did, and made many things easy and safe that would have been confoundedly hard and dangerous if I 'd been left to myself.

And we'll be paying tithes to shiftless Weyrs deferring to Dragonriders and their women as long as this planet circles the sun.

Doubters and waverers, dodgers and complainers, the lazy and the shiftless were as much traitors to the cause as any spy or saboteur.

Joel often feuded with the landlord about paying the rent on time, and the landlord was amazed that Joel, whom he saw as utterly shiftless, was even able to stay in business.

Somebody organizes the whole affair, fills forms, presses buttons, shouts orders, recommends promotions, lacks the shiftless, grabs all the credit, transfers all the blame and generally lords it around.