"to move to and fro" (especially in an effort to avoid something), 1560s, origin and sense evolution obscure, perhaps akin to Scottish dodd "to jog." Common from early 18c. in figurative sense of "to swindle, to play shifting tricks." Related: Dodged; dodging.
"person's way of making a living," 1842, slang, from dodge (v.).
A person's way of making a living, esp if illegal or dubious •Often ironically and deprecatingly used of one's own perfectly ordinary line of work: We used to run gin, but when prohibition ended we had to give up that dodge/ One of the better practitioners of the dictionary dodge (1842+)