Slipshod

This word now means slovenly or careless and acquired this figurative meaning during the early 19th century. Before that, during the late 16th century, a slipshoe was a loosely fitting slipper that was worn around the house and anyone wearing them was literally and simply slipshod, with no adverse connotations whatsoever. However, when some people started to venture out, say, down to the pub in their slipshoes, it was looked on as being inappropriately dressed. They were in the pub, slipshod, and over time, this was viewed as being slovenly dressed. In this way, the word came to acquire its current meaning. There have been attempts to derive the word shoddy from slipshod but there is no etymological connection between the two, even though the meanings are similar.