slip the first date

[WordOrder]

Hi.

What does the word slip mean in this context?

…When we slip the first date no-one minds too much. If it goes on for long enough — slipping week by week and month by month — enough people will have left…

I suppose, that is something like to miss but I'm not sure.

Thanks.

 

[sdgraham]

Letting a date slip is to miss a deadline, although this particular usage sounds more jargonistic than usual.

 

[Driven]

I agree with sdgraham but it would help to have a bit more context. Is this in a business or social context? What are they talking about? Give us a bit more and we can be more precise with the meaning of slip.

 

[WordOrder]

The fragment is from a book describing the principles of software development. I agree with you and think that to slip in that context means to be badly behind schedule or as you said to miss a deadline.

Here's the text itself.

We estimate, we plan, we have every contingency down to the nth degree and then much to our disappointment real life happens. When we slip the first date no-one minds too much. I mean, it will only be a couple of weeks. If it goes on for long enough — slipping week by week and month by month — enough people will have left and joined that we can finally put the project out of its misery. Eighteen months to two years is usually enough.

Thank you for taking an interest in my question.