A person complained the other day about an acquaintance that did not seem to acknowledge the importance of things that mattered, at least things that counted according to her. She said, “She is obsessive about things that don’t matter, and slapdash about the things that do matter.”
Slapdash is described as haphazard or slipshod. The word makes an appearance in the English language around the 17th century. British poet, John Dryden, wrote, “Down I put the notes slap-dash.” Antonyms of slapdash would be methodical, orderly, organised. The dictionary defines slapdash as doing things carelessly without much thinking, being hasty and sloppy. The Oxford English Dictionary lists the root meaning as doing something with a slap and a dash, an action performed quick and imprecise.
In the 15th century the word slap was used to indicate a strike with an open hand. Since such actions were often done without much warning the word slap acquired the idea of a sudden action. This also implied the concept to put, place, or throw with careless haste. Thus, we use the phrase, ‘slapped on a coat of paint,’ for a job done carelessly.
The word dash developed in the 1300s with a meaning to strike suddenly and violently, like waves dashing against the rocks. This meaning is derived from the Swedish work daska meaning to beat or strike. By 1520 the phrase ‘dash to pieces’ was used for a purposeful violent shattering of an object. The expression ‘a dash of rain’ meant a sudden burst or splash of showers.
By combining two words, slap and dash, the meaning intensified the effect of careless and downplayed the violence, and began to be used as an adjective, as in ‘it was done in a slapdash manner".
Dash continued to develop meanings, as when associated with the Middle English dasshen, related to the French dachier, signifying to impel forward. So, a track event in racing competitions is often referred to as a dash. “He easily won the 100-metre dash in record time.”
Another strange connection for the word dash occurs with vehicle dashboards, which refer to the control panel displaying instrumentation and controls for operation of the vehicle or aircraft. In the mid-1800s the dash-board was a small board positioned forward in a sleigh to provide a handhold to get into the driver’s seat or to wrap the reins around when not in use. The dashboard morphed to be the barrier at the front of a horse drawn carriage to protect drivers from mud and debris splashed, or dashed up, by horses’ hooves. The first automobiles used dashboards to protect occupants from debris thrown up by the front wheels. When engines were eventually positioned in front of the driver, dashboards protected people from engine heat and splattering motor oil. Eventually the dashboard became a convenient place for gauges and controls yet retaining its old-fashioned name.
Dash also acquired a connection with carelessness. Recipes sometimes refer to a ‘dash of salt,’ meaning a small amount with no precise measurement other than a tiny quantity.
Brian Stelter, in a CNN article of February 2022, wrote, “In reality, in-depth reporting with context and nuance takes time; slapdash stories and opinion columns barely any time at all.” What often passes for news or analysis, especially on the internet, can be careless, haphazard reporting or commentary. We must be aware of the value of what we read and hear. What some may refer to as ‘fake news’ may just be slapdash reporting, even on credible new sites. To truly understand many of the issues of the day, more than one source should be consulted, or our views can easily become slapdash opinions. Careful out there.
Columnist John Kreutzwieser loves to research words and writes this weekly Word Wisdom column for Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com. He has an interest in the usage, origin, and relevance of words for society today. Greek and Latin form the basis of many words, with ancient Hebrew shedding light on word usage.
John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to wordwisdom2021@gmail.com . Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
