The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-23 00:00:00

READING.

Hawkins, H. C., b Strib- Almack, W., c Stribling,
ling, b Flanagan —.12 b Green... ... ... 2
Hunter, L., b Flanagan...lo Hawkins, H., c ditto, b
Harward, H. H., c Marks, Flanagan ... ...10
b Flanagan ... ... 2 Harward, H., b Flanagan 7
Cocks, A., b Flanagan ...10 Hunter, L., c Green, b
Ormsby, H. ,b Green ... 0 Flanagan ... 3
Powys, Rev. W. c & b do. 0 Ormsby, H., b Green ~. 1
Almack, W., b do. ... 2 Cocks, A., b Flanagan .. 3
Edney, cStribling,boreen 0 Edney, b do. ... 0
Cobham, R., b Green ... 0 Powys, Rev. W., b do. ... 7
Beale, A. A., not out ... 0 Beale, A. A., not out ... 7
Lowsley, 8., b Flanagan. 0 Cobham, R., b Greeh 2
Byes 6 ... 6 Lowsley, 8., not out 2
Byes, 6 6
42
50

have a tinge of meanness about them which it is
L difficult to define. The idea of a man's getting on
" like steam" is, to our mind, very unpleasant. Of
the two modes of progression we sht,uld certainly
prefer " getting on like a house on fire." Again, the
expression, " first class" is always on the lips of a
snob. It is only exceeded in vulgarity by the word
"prime," which should never be applied in praise of
anything but cheese, or by anybody but a cheese-
monger. The word " swell," in a laudatory sense,
and with reference to a man's accomplishments,
seems generally recognised. Thus, we may say of
Jones, gra the underduate, that he is a swell at
Greek iambics or cricket. If he has paid great
attention to his toilet for an evening party,
he may be described with perfect propriety as
a " terrific swell." But if he is entitled to
write " honourable" before his name, he must not be
called a swell on that account. Indeed, all slang
words, as " gent," " nob," &c., employed to repre-
sent a social grade, become offensive. No one,
whether he plays cards or not, can object to hear his
friend called " a trump." It is a good, honest
epithet in slang. So is " stunner," though it is less
refined. To speak of a man as a " muff" is a good-
natured way of describing his stupidity. Public-
school boys know such and such a " fellow." At
Oxford and Cambridge you know a " man" (never
gentleman : cela va sans dire). Since the publication
of Leech's famous sketch, the word " party " is
sometimes used in joke—out of the City ; but the
worst expression of individuality is " chap," which
has long been given up to shopmen. Shop slang is,
by the way, always detestable. "We can do you
that scarf at four and nine," " nice thing in turn-
downs," and so forth. Retail dealers have an ellip-
tical manner of expressing themselves, which, to the
uncommercial ear, is very unsatisfactory. At the
China warehouses, for instance, they talk of " ele-
gant cut sherries" and " neat green (h) ocks," when
they really mean the vessels which are to hold that
wine. The brevity and assurance of that unplea-
sant notice, " TERMS : CASH," which one sees at the
top of certain tradesmen's bills, must, we think,
offend even the most punctual customer. It is so
horribly laconic and to the point. Drawing-room
slang deserves a separate consideration, which we
have hardly space to give. It is wonderful to think
how quickly young ladies pick up Bohemian and
Turfy words from their brothers, and the readiness
with which they apply them—how they will " trot
out" their partner in a quadrille, " twig" the general
points of his character, and are " down upon" his
weaknesses. " Piccadilly weepers don't fetch me
at all," said an artless young thing at a ball not long
ago, meaning to express her dislike to the long
whiskers of her vis-a-vis. " Fetching one" is an
Americanism. Another bit of Yankee slang was
admirably rendered not long ago by Mr. Punch, in
a sketch of a Transatlantic belle who declined a
second helping at supper, because she " guessed she
was pretty well crowded already." We have even
heard of an English girl who familiarly alluded to
her father's dinner party as a "blow-out," but this
is positively too dreadful for belief, had if we may
venture to express an opinion, it must be a very
mild form of slang indeed which we can tolerate
from the lips of a woman.