eyeservice means work or service done only when one's employer is watching; service done for show. It carries an Arena rating of 1732, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
eyeservice is pronounced /ˈʌɪ səːvɪs/.
Why “eyeservice” is a great word
Work performed only under direct supervision or observation, done for show rather than from genuine diligence. From eye (the organ of sight) + service (work done for another), formed by analogy with lipservice; first recorded in 1520–30. Unlike diligence, which implies steady, earnest effort as a matter of principle, or the broader motive of menpleasing, which seeks favor in general, eyeservice is a specific, visual performance of hollow duty. It is the sudden straightening of a slouched back when footsteps echo in the hall, the vigorous polishing of an already-clean surface under a watchful gaze, and the conspicuous busyness that evaporates the moment the overseer turns away—a pantomime of labor that speaks of a world divided into watched and unwatched moments, where obligation evaporates when the gaze is withdrawn.
Etymology
From eye + service, by analogy with lipservice.
noun
- Work or service done only when one's employer is watching; service done for show.“pay eyeservice to someone”