slow-walk

Etymology 1
Attested since 1973 in Southern dialects of American English; prominent since the late 1990s. Thought by William Safire to derive from a Tennessee term for the walking gait of the, which is generally called "flat walk", but sometimes a "slow walk".

Verb

 * 1)  To delay a request or command, to drag one's feet, to stall, to obstruct, to drag out a process.
 * 2) * 1973, testimony in case (regarding labor dispute):
 * many of the men were simply standing around and were purposely ‘slow-walking’ the project...to stretch out the term of employment.
 * many of the men were simply standing around and were purposely ‘slow-walking’ the project...to stretch out the term of employment.

Usage notes

 * Frequently used in the passive (“be slow-walked”).
 * Similar in meaning to, but the object of is either the person whose request is being delayed or the subject being delayed. Also, while  has nuance of reluctance, particularly in the face of an unpleasant task (“I’ve been dragging my feet on doing my taxes”),  emphasizes an adversarial relationship and intentional delaying tactics: “We’re being slow-walked on our proposal – they’re hoping that if they drag it out we’ll give up.”

Etymology 2
Attested since 1962 in Southern (North and South Carolina) dialects of American English; of origin.

Verb

 * 1)  To punish, to chastise.

Usage notes

 * Much less common than the “delay” sense.