Pedants' Paradise

[french frank]

I can't remember when I first encountered the phrase 'slope off', but it must have been several decades ago.

As a verb it has a different history. The OED has the first British use (in single quotes) as a noun indicating contempt in the New Statesman, 1966: U.S. slang. (disparaging and offensive). A person from East or Southeast Asia; (more recently) spec. a Vietnamese person.

[Old Grumpy]

As a verb it has a different history. The OED has the first British use (in single quotes) as a noun indicating contempt in the New Statesman, 1966: U.S. slang. (disparaging and offensive). A person from East or Southeast Asia; (more recently) spec. a Vietnamese person.

Thanks FF, helpful (as ever). I certainly heard the use as a verb (as in sloped off) from childhood.

I was too was unaware of the disparaging U.S. slang usage until the Clarkson debacle.

[smittims]

I'll be 73 next month, vinteuil. But rather than age I think it's to do with the way my brain is wired. I've never gone in for subtle hints and hidden meanings and mind games and standing back sniggering while someone tries to work out what they mean. As I've only a few years to go I think I'll just stick to plain English and risk being arrested for inadverently using a politically-incorrect word.

[Pulcinella]

I'll be 73 next month, vinteuil. But rather than age I think it's to do with the way my brain is wired. I've never gone in for subtle hints and hidden meanings and mind games and standing back sniggering while someone tries to work out what they mean. As I've only a few years to go I think I'll just stick to plain English and risk being arrested for inadverently using a politically-incorrect word.

So will I!

[smittims]

So, we were both 'new Elizabethans'!

[Pulcinella]

So, we were both 'new Elizabethans'!

I must be that bit older......see my Profile.
The news of my birth reached Sandringham and the poor king snuffed it two hours later, so I'm technically a Georgian!

[LMcD]

So will I!

Don't worry - the best is yet to come - I'm nine squared!

[oddoneout]

From a Guardian consumer article

In London, Kennedy was alerted that his property had been put on Airbnb by neighbours.

Actually it was the tenant who had listed the property and the neighbours who alerted the owner.

[french frank]

From a Guardian consumer article

Actually it was the tenant who had listed the property and the neighbours who alerted the owner.

Know thy neighbour - they get up to all sorts of scams, you wouldn't beiieve.

[Serial_Apologist]

Know thy neighbour - they get up to all sorts of scams, you wouldn't beiieve.

Then thank dawkins I get on so well with mine!

[oddoneout]

Your mention of the word 'slope', ff, reminds me of how difficult it is for me, and I guess, others of my generation,to keep up with political correctness. You may find it difficult to believe, but until I read your post I wouldn't have thought 'slope' meant anything else but its traditional English meaning. I was told some time ago that one mustn't say 'water melon' as that has become an offensive term. What these two terms are now taken to mean is a mystery to me. Words and phrases that were acceptable last year are suddenly politically-incorrect. Its a minefield (oops, for all I now 'minefield' might now be banned for some reason).

This isn't mean to be satirical . I do genuinely find it all bewildering.

Trouble is using an alternative name would also be offensive to some as they wouldn't have a clue what you were talking about, and might thus feel belittled.
Citrullus lanatus, pasteque fourragere*, coloquinte... *With apologies for missing accents.
In any case it's not the watermelon per se, but portion thereof in the wrong context.

[french frank]

Then thank dawkins I get on so well with mine!