slut n
1 A tin kettle, often one with a large flat bottom and tapering to the top, used to boil water on an open fire; cp PlPER, SMUT.
1924 ENGLAND 11 Some were drawing water at an icicled faucet near the cropping shed, bringing ’sluts’ (kettles) aboard, and brewing tea. 1937 DEVINE 46 ~ A large tin teakettle. P 102-60 Everybody would line up 3 times a day for salt meat, potatoes and figgy duff or saltfish and brewis and a slut full of boiled tea, no milk but good old Barbados molasses, no sugar. P 54-67 A hotwater kettle, of the familiar type locally made by tinsmiths and much used on outdoor picnics, hunting trips etc, is called a slut—especially the very large sort, holding about 4 gallons and made of sheet copper, used on board the old sealing steamers, being always kept full of boiling water on the galley stove, whence sealers would take small kettlesful to take to their bunks and brew tea with. 1973 MOWAT 69 Twice a week … we got duff, made out of condemned flour put into bags and boiled in a slut—a big kettle—with a bit of salt pork.
2 Attrib slut kettle: see sense 1 above.
T 181-65 An ‘we had a large kettle [that was shaped] up like that. They used to call ‘em the slut kettle.
slut tea: strong tea brewed in the kettle in which the water is boiled.
P 145-74 There was nothing on the table but bread, molasses and slut tea.

I had learned that the term “the third degree” was taken from the Freemasons. There were different levels of masons, the 3rd degree being the highest and requiring the highest qualifications and was/is the most ceremonious.

Not saying that your entry is not true, just thought I would share what I’d heard!

Not sure on this, but I believe this dates back to Masonic rites, as the Third Degree (or to be “given the Third Degree”) refers to the lengthy memorized question-and-answer ritual to attain the rank of Third Degree Mason.