1602. Shakspeare, Troilus and Cressida, v. 4, 10. That same young Trojan ass, that loves the whore there, might send that Greekish whoremasterly villain, with the sleeve, back to the dissembling luxurious drab, of a sleeveless errand.
d.1612. Harington, Epigrams, iii. 9. My men came back as from a sleeveless Arrant.
1620. Fletcher, Little French Lawyer, ii. To be despatch'd upon a sleeveless errand, To leave my friend engag'd, mine honour tainted.
1630. Taylor, Works, ii. iii. A neat laundresse, or a hearbwife can Carry a sleeveless message now and then.
1633. Jonson, Tale of a Tub, iv. 4. It [a coat] did play me such a sleeveless errand As I had nothing where to put mine arms in, And then I threw it off.
d.1680. Butler, Works, ii. 296. They are the likelier, quoth Bracton, To bring us many a sleeveless action.
c.1696. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Sleeveless Story, a Tale of a Tub, or of a Cock and a Bull.
1706. Ward, Wooden World, 22. He sends him upon a thousand sleeveless errands to the great Consolation of the Footman.
1737-41. Warburton, Div. Leg., iii. To save himself from the vexation of a sleeveless errand.
Slewed, adj. (common).—Drunk:
see Screwed. Also Slued.
1843. Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, xxviii. He came into our place one night to take her home; rather slued, but not much.
1855. Whig Almanack [Bartlett]. I went to bed slewed last night—didn't dream of such a thing in the morning.
Slewer, subs. (American).—A
servant-girl: cf. Dutch slang
sluer (or sloor) = a poor, common
woman.
Slibber-slabber, adj. (colloquial).—Careless.
Slice. To take a slice, verb.
phr. (venery).—To intrigue;
'particularly (Grose) with a
married woman, because a slice
off a cut loaf is not missed.'
Slick, adv. (Old English: then American).—1. Quick; bold; direct; perfect. Whence (2) = clever; plausible; expert; smart (q.v.). Also sleek.
1605. Jonson, Chapman, &c., Eastware Hoe, ii. 1. They be the smoothest and slickest knaves in a country.
1832. Haliburton, Traits of Am. Humour, ii. 18. Courtin' is the hardest thing in the world to begin, though it goes on so slick arterwards.
1835. Crockett, Tour down East, 120. The Senate could not pass Mr. Stevenson through for England . . . He was a-going through right slick till he came to his coat-pockets, and they were so full of papers written by Ritchie that he stuck fast.
1837. Barham, Ingolds. Leg., i. 241. The hare, making play, Progress'd right slick away, As them tarnation chaps, the Americans, say.
1841. Knickerbocker Mag. [Bartlett], Singin' is a science which comes pretty tough at first, but it goes slick afterwards.
1844. Major Jones's Courtship, 94. I done it as slick as a whistle.
1847. Blackwood's Mag. The railroad company, out of sheer parsimony, have neglected to fence in their line, which goes slick through the centre of your garden.
1856. Dow, Sermons [Bartlett]. Nobody can waltz real slick unless they have the spring-halt in one leg, as horses sometimes have.
1869. Stowe, Oldtown, 253. He [read] it off slicker than any on us could; he did—there wa'n't no kind o' word could stop him.
1896. Lillard, Poker Stories, 243. One of the slickest young fellows that ever turned a card . . . could work the shells and the elusive pea like a circus sharper. . . .
