U.S. colloq. [f. prec.; from the animal’s mode of locomotion.] intr. To retreat from a position taken up; to ‘back out.’
a. 1860. in Bartlett, Dict. Amer., We acknowledge the corn, and retreat, retrograde, crawfish, or climb down.—Cairo Times.
1888. L. J. Beauchamp, in The Voice (N. Y.), 5 July, 3/4. The remark defeated him for Governor. He tried to crawfish out of it…, but it didn’t work.
1888. Daily Exam. (S.F.), 18 March, 11/2 (Farmer). He was afraid to bet and crawfished out of the issue by claiming that he didn’t drink.
