Meaning
What does Slipshod mean?
Slipshod is a popular slang expression, with multiple meanings, depending on the contexts of its use.
It may describe a characteristic of a certain individual or even an object or especially product, which was made in a shoddy manner.
Alternatively, the term may also refer to a person wearing slippers or shoes while stepping on the heels, granting a derelict appearance to them.
Origin
What's the origin of Slipshod?
The origin of the term “Slipshod” may be traced back to the 16th century, when the words “slip” and “shod” (the past tense of the verb shoe) were merged together to form the titular expression, initially with the meaning of wearing loose shoes or slippers.
One of the earliest documented cases of the term appearing in print can be found in a 1604 publication of Christopher Marlowe’s “The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus”.
In the following centuries, it would see a limited amount of usage.
Spread & Usage
How did Slipshod spread?
The meaning of “Slipshod” shifted during the 19th century, when it started taking on a sense of describing someone as acting with a certain “slovenly carelessness”.
It was around this time that the downtrodden heels were also referred to with the titular term, further adding to the secondary meaning of “Slipshod”, associating it with a derelict lifestyle.
Following the shift in its meaning, the popularity of “Slipshod” started spreading across the Anglosphere.
The word reached the pinnacle of its popularity at the turn of the 20th century, with its use declining ever since.
“Slipshod” was first defined on Urban Dictionary on July 2nd, 2004.
