Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(S.Afr.) a general term of abuse, a ‘bastard’, a ‘swine’.

1853		J. Green Kot River Settlement 1851 46: Jan Groepe and Albert Groepe designated their father an ‘old wash vrouw’ and a ‘Smeerlap’ [DSAE].
1863		Lady Duff-Gordon in Galton Vacation Tourists (1864) III 182: The hardest blows are those given with the tongue [...] ‘Verdomde Schmeerlap!’ [DSAE].
1899		Cape Times 25 Oct. in Pettman Africanderisms n.p.: No, my friend, give your burgher rights to Hollanders and other schmeerlaps, but not for me, thanks.
1929		N. Devitt Legal Atmospherics 142: ‘Die regter se jij is een vervloekste smeerlap!’ (The judge says you are a cussedly dirty person!).
1943		Week-End News and Sun. Mag. 20 Mar. 4: ‘I tink jou smeerlops is torking troo de bak orf julle neks!’ I tole dem [DSAE].
1959		J. Gonda Epithets in the Rigveda 15: Similarly, een gemene smeerlap ‘a foul blackguard’ is stronger than the single smeerlap ‘dirty fellow’.
1984		Gray & Schalkwyk Modern Stage Directions 45: mrs achteruit: I said smeerlap! achteruit: Double-faced, double-tongued, bilingual beast! Can’t you see you’re worrying Mr Montgomery?