Skanks (& sluts)

[Laurence Horn]

At 11:30 AM -0500 2/21/03, sagehen wrote:
>  >>A slut is a girl you don't take home to mom.
>
>An older definition of slut was that of a woman of slovenly habits, not
>necessarily involving sexual promiscuity.  An old neighbor of ours (b.
>before WWI) who was, himself a thief, given to violence and drunkenness,
>nevertheless had very high standards of housekeeping & general cleanliness.
>He once, in my hearing, defined as a "slut" any woman who didn't keep her
>skillet as clean as his.
>A. Murie

cf. _slattern_, for which the OED gives:

A woman or girl untidy and slovenly in person, habits, or surroundings; a slut.

while for _slut_ it has

1. a. A woman of dirty, slovenly, or untidy habits or appearance; a
foul slattern.

The two words do not, however, seem to be etymologically related.

larry