I'm with nancyk and the others above - I know what slovenly means. I never would have thought there could be anyone English-speaking and, ahem, "educated" enough to work in an office environment, who WOULDN'T know....but then, what do I know!
I wrote an introduction to the local daily's back-to-school supplement and I quoted Angela's Ashes (that wonderful "Stock your mind" speech the headmaster gave). My editor had never heard of Angela's Ashes - neither (nyether!) book nor movie - and was very confused. I was very confused by HER confusion, since I'd thought the tidal wave of publicity on which Angela's Ashes surfed for so long could hardly have failed to overcome everyone in North America, at least, if not the English-speaking world.
Sometimes you just git surprised by what people do and don't know....It's a funny ol' world.
Edit: just read wwh's post below and now suddenly hope I didn't help to inspire it....nor anyone here, really. I didn't get the sense people were criticising belM for asking...? that certainly wasn't my intention. And I don't know where you work, belM - are you in a mostly French-speaking office? if so, that might be the reason why your colleagues were unfamiliar with the word - but I know a few francophones whose English is better than that of many anglophones, so being a francophone might not be a legitimate excuse either (eeether!)! - Anyway - no offense meant and I hope none taken?
