Slipshod is a term that has its origins in the 1500s, from a very literal source. We will examine the definition of the term slipshod, its origins and some examples of its use in sentences.
Slipshod describes something that is done carelessly, something that is done with a lack of concern, something slovenly. The original phrase from which the term is derived is slip-shoe, denoting a type of slipper worn in the 1500s. A slip-shoe did not fit well and was not considered proper foot attire in polite company. Over a few decades, someone wearing a slip-shoe came to be down as slip-shod. In time, the term slip-shod came to mean something done carelessly or in a slovenly fashion. Slipshod is a compound word, which is a word that is derived from two separate words joined together. Since there is no hyphen between the words slip and shod, it is a closed compound word.
Examples
Exasperated North Side aldermen will hold a City Council hearing next week to turn up the heat on a city contractor they accuse of inconveniencing and endangering their residents with its slow and slipshod work. (The Chicago Daily Herald)
Advocates of homeowner’s associations have steadfastly argued for owners’ right to sue over slipshod workmanship on what is often their biggest life investment. (The Denver Post)
But you have only to observe any river in southern Minnesota after a rain to know that many farmers are making slipshod efforts to prevent erosion. (The Post-Bulletin)
The report also faults the DEA for slipshod investigations of two other fatal shootings by its agents in the impoverished Central American country in the summer of 2012. (The Los Angeles Times)