A variant form of sleek, meaning smooth, neat, easy; also smoothly, quickly.
1604. He [the horse] has a buttock as slick as an eel.—Marlowe, ‘The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus,’ sc. xiv.
1650. Sure I am this city [the New Jerusalem], as presented by the prophet, was fairer, finer, slicker, smoother, more exact, than any fabric the earth afforded.—Fuller, ‘Pisgah Sight of Palestine,’ ii. 190: cited by Trench, ‘English Past and Present,’ Lecture V.
[1806.
| Thus happy I hoped I should pass | |
| Sleek as grease down the current of time. | |
Spirit of the Public Journals (Balt.), p. 114.] |
1807. You tire getting too slick. What a charming thing it is to see men under good discipline.—Lancaster (Pa.) Journal, Oct. 16: from the Georgia Monitor.
1816. Out jumped a gentleman more than commonly slick, so much so that he drew the attention of the company.—Mass. Spy, Sept. 4: from the Connecticut Courier.
1817. I have saved the county two hundred dollars slick.—Id., Jan. 22.
[1817.
| I late was a slave to your rosy-red cheek, | |
| Your blue-rolling eye, and your cherry-red lip, | |
| Your clean white silk stocking, your ancle so sleek, | |
| Your air and your figure, from shoulder to hip. | |
Id., Dec. 10.] |
1818. He would send me off slick.—H. B. Fearon, ‘Sketches of America,’ p. 59. (For fuller quotation see BOSS.)
1823. In their [Americans’] eyes Uncle Sam is a right slick, mighty fine, smart, big man.—W. Faux, ‘Memorable Days in America,’ p. 126 (Lond.).
[1833. Tim Needles, in Chatham-street, could splice it [a torn coat] sleek enough, I guess. It is a right down screamer though—ain’t it?—American Monthly Mag., i. 395 (Aug.)].
1833. See VARMENT.
1834. It was so slick a kounterfit the Captain didn’t know himself.—C. A. Davis, ‘Letters of Jack Downing, Major,’ p. 73.
1835. We came to the place called Hell’s Gate; so called, I suppose, because the water boils, and foams, and bounces about as if it was in a pot. I don’t think, however, that this is a good name for it, because we are told in the good book that hell’s gate is a mighty slick place, and easy to get into.—‘Col. Crockett’s Tour,’ p. 56 (Phila.).
1837. Prudence guessed strawberries and cream were slick. Jonathan thought they wa’nt so slick as Pru’s lips.—Balt. Comml. Transcript, Sept. 4, p. 2/3.
1840. We should think that the roads in Greece would be as “slick awile.”—Daily Pennant, St. Louis, July 7.
1842. All who wish to get clear of bristles on the face can be accommodated in the slickest manner by Purnell, rear of the arcade.—Phila. Spirit of the Times, March 5.
1845. Jest let me light on him, if you want to see how slick Georgia kin top out old Virginy.—W. T. Thompson, ‘Chronicles of Pineville,’ p. 140 (Phila.).
1848. The gineral dove into the whirlpool, and down they went right slick. Next mornin’, the gineral was found to hum with a sighter old gold pieces.—W. E. Burton, ‘Waggeries,’ p. 14 (Phila.).
1849.
| [I] met at his table the man of my heart, | |
| Who inspireth these lines so slick and so smart! | |
Knick. Mag., xxxiii. 13–4 (Jan.). |
1851. “Ay, they are right desperate chaps, them,” exclaimed the jailer or turnkey who accompanied him; “I reckon them furriners [they were Mexicans] ’ud think no more of murdering a man right slick, nor you would of walloping your nigger.”—Lady E. S. Wortley, ‘Travels in the U.S.,’ p. 121 (N.Y.).
1853. You might all manage to get on as slick as goose-grease without as much doctor-stuff as would physic an adolescent spider.—Dow, Jun., ‘Patent Sermons,’ iii. 76.
1854. Up thar all glides on as “slick” as goose-grease.—Id., iv. 70.
1855. “Open the fixin,” says he, pointing to a cupboard; “there you’ll find the tools as ’ll do it slick.”—Oregon Weekly Times, July 21.
1857. “How did I dance?” “Like a nation.” “What did Mose Jewell say about me?” “He said you looked as slick as a candle, and slicker tew.”—San Francisco Call, Feb. 4.
1888. My stock is complete and I am anxious to sell. If your pocket-book is over burdened, bring it down here, and I will clean it out as slick as David did Goliah.—Advt. in a Eugene (Oregon) paper, July.
1909. The wind carried away the roof as slick as a whistle, but without hurting anybody.—Chicago Tribune, April.
