Something smooth and slick that's hard to grip or stand on; also describes someone tricky or untrustworthy.
From 'slip' (which comes from Old English and Old Norse) plus suffix '-ery.' The metaphorical sense of 'untrustworthy' developed because slippery surfaces can't be relied upon for grip.
It's clever how we use the same word for ice and dishonest people—both are things you can't get a solid grip on. Language lets us use physical experiences to understand abstract morality.
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