The slippery slope of modern English usage

sir – Robert Danny (Letters, March 21) wants to know when the word slippery became slippy.

I feel sure it must have been about the same time that anything striped became stripey, anything crisp became crispy, and anything dotted became dotty. Shirley Puckett

Tenterden, Kent

sir – Slippery conditions became slippy at about the same time that twice became two times, mountains became taller instead of higher, and people of both sexes became guys. Carole Gardner

Brassey Green, Cheshire

sir – In my last year at primary school, in the cold winter of 1962-63, our formidable class teacher, Mrs Penny, drilled into us that the word is slippery not slippy. I have never uttered the word slippy since. Lesley Rampton

Woking, Surrey

sir – Slippery became slippy when sixth became sicth, aitch became haitch, and have became of. David Hutchinson

Nutley , East Sussex

sir – When did May I have? become Can I get? Susan Birkett

Southwell, Nottinghamshire

sir – Growing up in County Durham, the paths were always slippy.

Living in Cumbria I discovered the paths were slape and if very slippy, they were gay slape. Anna Johnston

Carlisle, Cumbria