An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Schlendrian

by Friedrich Kluge

Schlendrian, masculine, ‘old practice or custom, loafer,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German; in Dutch slender, ‘sauntering gait.’ The d after n represents an older t, which is correctly permutated in High German schlenzen, ‘to saunter’; compare Middle English slenten, ‘to saunter.’