Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SLIPSHOD
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connect this word to others:
Sometimes you'll be writing about how cheap, sloppy, and crummy something is and you'll go, "Hang on. Is janky a real word?"
Well, some dictionaries say yes, others, no. So here's a well-accepted, fun-to-say alternative: slipshod.
And here's another: j___y-built, meaning "built or created in a sloppy, cheap way."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"SLIPSHOD"
"Shod" means "wearing shoes," and "slipshod" first meant "wearing loose shoes" or "wearing slippers."
Today, slipshod things are sloppy and careless in a way that reminds you of someone shuffling around awkwardly in loose shoes.
Pronunciation:
SLIP shod
Part of speech:
Adjective: "their slipshod approach," "this slipshod article."
Other forms:
If you prefer an adjective that sounds more adjectival, you can use "slipshoddy."
For a noun, you can use "slipshodness," or my preference, "slipshoddiness."
"Slipshoddy" and "slipshoddiness" sound, appropriately, much like "shoddy" and "shoddiness." But the resemblance is a coincidence: "shoddy" has its own interesting origin story about crummy clothes, not shoes.
How to use it:
Pick this fun-to-say word when you need to be critical but a bit formal.
Talk about slipshod work and effort; slipshod rules and standards; slipshod grammar, spelling, and writing; slipshod habits, methods, approaches, and processes; slipshod accounting and record-keeping; slipshod reasoning, arguments, and thinking; and slipshod products, creations, publications, etc.
examples:
"The owner’s contractors were cutting corners. The building materials were second-rate and the workmanship was slipshod."
— Ed Fuller, Forbes, 15 October 2014
"I have enjoyed writing detective stories, and I think the austerity and stern discipline that goes to making a 'tight' detective plot is good for one's thought processes. It is the kind of writing that does not permit loose or slipshod thinking. It all has to dovetail..."
— Agatha Christie, preface for Ask a Policeman, 2019
has this page helped you understand "slipshod"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "slipshod" without saying "untidy" or "slapdash."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) knew how to _____, although in the most slipshod way that would (meet some low standard)."
Example: "[Ike] knew how to clean up an engine, although...in the most slipshod and easiest way that would pass inspection." —Allen Chapman, Ralph of the Roundhouse, 2017
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
This month, we're playing "What's the Word?"
On Reddit, r/whatstheword is a community of about 55,000 members: folks who gather to help each other out when they can't think of a particular word. "It's on the tip of my tongue," they say. Or, "This word might not even exist. Help!"
In each issue this month, check out a post from the community, and see if you can come up with the word or phrase in question. We'll work our way from relatively easy to extremely hard questions as the month goes on.
From the previous issue: A community member asked, "What’s the word for when someone does a different job, typically a hobby, at night? Like ‘During the day I am a clerk, but I _______ as a photographer.’ I think it has 'night' in it, sort of like 'I night cover as a photographer' or something."
Answer: moonlight.
Try this today: A community member asked, "What’s the word for when you try to match the first letter of 2 words so it becomes catchy? I didn’t quite know how to phrase it. For example: Monday madness, pancake paradise, river rush."
I'll share the answer in the upcoming issue, but if you can't wait, you can view the whole original thread here.
review this word:
1. In its literal sense, SLIPSHOD is a near opposite of
A. NATTY.
B. NEBULOUS.
C. NUMINOUS.
2. It was a slipshod paper, _____ in peer review.
A. axed
B. stalled
C. commended
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Sometimes you'll be writing about how cheap, sloppy, and crummy something is and you'll go, "Hang on. Is janky a real word?"
"SLIPSHOD" "Shod" means "wearing shoes," and "slipshod" first meant "wearing loose shoes" or "wearing slippers."
"The owner’s contractors were cutting corners. The building materials were second-rate and the workmanship was slipshod."
Explain the meaning of "slipshod" without saying "untidy" or "slapdash."
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) knew how to _____, although in the most slipshod way that would (meet some low standard)."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. In its literal sense, SLIPSHOD is a near opposite of
|