slek, slekim

English: ‘slack’.

Has anyone examples of slek or slekim, to fight with fists?

See first Mihalic entry. See second Mihalic entry.

Modifier forms

  1. Physical state: slack, loose, opposite of tight
    baklain i slek the rope is slack, the rope is loose

  1. Physical state: to be deflated
    bal i slek pinis the ball is deflated, the ball has become soft
    taia i slek pinis the tyre is flat

  1. State of being: tired, weak, idle, past it
    bun i slek to be tired, to be weary
    gavman i slek pinis the government is weak (i.e. does not follow its own rules, fails to enforce the law etc)
    polis i les long painim em, ol slek lain tru the police aren’t interested in making an arrest, they are bone idle
    olpela memba i no inap win, em i slek pinis the former MP will not win, he is past it

Intransitive verb forms

  1. to diminish, slacken, ease
    pen i slek the pain has eased
    win i slek the wind has died down

  1. to fight with fists

Transitive verb forms

  1. to loosen, to slacken
    slekim sel to loosen the mainsheet
    slekim sen bilong anka to put some slack into the anchor chain

  1. to punch with the fist
    slekim em! punch him out!

Verb phrase forms

  1. slekim masis to strike a match, to ignite
    husat i slekim masis insait long kunai who’s been starting the grass fires?

  1. Idiom: slekim masis to act provocatively, to ignite a dispute
    no ken bekim tok, bai yu slekim masis tasol don’t answer back, all you’ll do is re-ignite the dispute

© Revising the Mihalic Project, 26 Jan 2005 [Home]