slue-foot

English

Alternative forms

• slew-foot

Etymology

From slue +‎ foot.

Noun

slue-foot (plural slue-feet)

1. (Canada, US) A foot that is large and turn outwards or is otherwise awry.
   • 1896 September 12, The Maitland Weekly Mercury, NSW, page 15, column 1:

     'As the old folks say, it runs in the family - like double-jointed thumbs runs in Sis' Tempy's family, and slue-feet in Tom Jenkins's family.' This raised a smile. Tempy examined her thumbs, and Tom glanced down at his slue-foot with consequence, suddenly recognising them as ancestral trophies.

2. (Canada, US) A person with slue-feet.
   • 1907 April 20, The Wagga Wagga Express, NSW, page 6, column 4:

     For, up a narrow little path which ran down athwart the face of the palisade came Uncle John Swafford with Robert Samuel on his arm; and behind them followed, grinning, the slew-foot Jim Swafford, with a blanket on his shoulder.

3. (Canada, US, slang) A detective or police officer.
   • 1943 October 9, The Australian Women's Weekly, page 3, column 4:

     Military Intelligence seems to be on the spot in a quiet sort of way. I just met a G-2 slue-foot and he was a most efficient guy! They're keeping low, I think, until they nail their man.

4. (preceded by definite article) A dance that had a brief popularity in the mid to late 1950s.
   • 1955 June 4, The Mirror, Perth, page 11, column 5:

     Since Fred Astaire introduced it in the movie 'Daddy Longlegs,' the Slue-foot has become the new dance craze of the world.

   • 1955 August 13, The Daily New, Perth, page 6, column 3:

     A new dance is about to hit Melbourne — the slew foot. "How do you do it?" president Frank South of the Academy of Teachers of Dancing was asked. "Do it?" he said. "You just jump up and down. IT'S CRAZY!"

   • 1957 July 3, The Kojonup Courier, WA, page 4, column 6:

     Already gaining momentum as a national dance craze is the "Sluefoot" dance improvised by Astaire to a song of Mercer's.