Derived from the novel The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek, published in 1921–23. The verb (which was not coined by Hašek himself) describes a conduct typical of the main character of the novel, Josef Švejk.
to protest against an absurd command or obligation by means of even more absurdly punctilious and zealous performance; act or play like Švejk[from 1st half of 20th c.]
„Blbec,“ řekl Rejsek. „Nebezpečný. Mnoho našich lidí dnes švejkuje. Zahrává si. Národní choroba. Ať si myslí, ke všem čertům, co chce, trumpeta, ale ať nechá hlouposti. Začne jako Švejk a skončí jako sabotér, jako podvratný živel na šibenici. […]“
“Idiot,” Rejsek said. “Dangerous one. Many of our people play like Švejk. They play dangerous games. National disease. Damn! He can think what he wants, fool, but he should stop doing stupid things. He starts like Švejk and ends like a saboteur, like a seditious element, on the gallows. […]”
