slack a Cp EDD ~ a1 11 (7) ~ handed for sense 3.
1 Of fish, slow in appearing; scarce.
[1772] 1792 CARTWRIGHT i, 241 The salmon have been slack these four days past. P 102-60 In his young days as a boy he was partly self taught taking his books out in the fishing boat to study when the fishing was slack.
2 Not firm; loose; flabby.
[1879] 1956 CUTTING 149 [It treats] how much salt each fish requires and on what part the most is needed. Otherwise the fish either come out 'slack' and strongly smelling for want of salt, or 'dry as a chip' from over salting. 1940 SCAMMELL 7 "The Six Horse-Power Coaker": She was easy on fuel, but she kicked like a mule, / For the screws on the beddin' were slack. P 148-69 Your [car] tire is slack. 1973 WIDDOWSON 354 Anyway you could deduce from the story what happened to him and that made you a good boy for the next few weeks anyway (until your memory started to get slack again).
3 Of the tide, not running; motionless.
1979 NEMEC 277 Few fish are 'jug' when the tide is 'slack.' On the other hand, if the tide is 'running' strong a crew may 'hit' or run into a 'drift of fish' and 'jig' hundreds of pounds of large cod in a matter of minutes.
4 Comb slack-fisted: lazy, without ambition.
T 194-65 There was a good girl, industrious girl, had married a slack-fisted feller, and consequently both of them were down... The industrious feller, he'd give he a good girl, and the slack-fisted feller, he'd give him the slack-fisted girl.
