English is not my first language, so I'm not quite sure what it means. I take it to mean something like "slippery" but may be is some slang meaning other completely different. Any ideas?

Also means either a losing streak while gambling, or a run-down neighborhood.

Aah, I guess the gambling one makes more sense, considering his character drawing and backstory. Thanks!

Back in the 1920s, being "on the skids" meant you were having a hard luck life, living as a criminal, or otherwise weren't enjoying things. Heck, the common slang for the bad part of town was Skid Row.

Obviously, Skids spends a lot of time in Skid Row.

As far as I can tell from research, it was one of the first slang words from the growing use of automobiles in society. Skidding, when driving, is when your wheels no longer grip the ground, leading your car to sweve -- and most likely crash, if you're traveling at any high speed. If you were rich enough to afford an auto back when they first came out, to skid out of control is a sign that you're rich but losing everything, probably from traveling too fast (that is: living an extravagant lifestyle).

If anyone's more up on slang origins from the Jazz Age, I'd love to hear more details.

To "hit the skids" means to be down on your luck, on a downward spiral, deteriorating rapidly. For example, going bankrupt, leading to your house being foreclosed and your wife leaving you with the kids, becoming alcoholic and losing your job as a result, and winding up sleeping in a cardboard box.

I tought it was short for "skidmarks"