Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-04-27
MISCELLANEOUS.
AmeriCaniSmS.


IrFrom an article entitled a. Idioms and Provincial.
isms of the English Language in the Ameri.
can Review.
The origin and perpetuity Of many o.
our queer and out-of-the-way phrases.
may be traced TO the %semi-annual meet.
ings Of gentlemen of the bar at the courts
of our Southern and Western States.
These gentlemen, living as they do in
the thinIy inhabited portion of our land,
and among a class of persons generally
very far their interiors in point of educu-
ton. rarely enjoying anything that may
deserve the name of intellectual society,
are TOO apt TO seek for amusement in lis
Iening 10 the droll stories and odd things
always 10 be heard at the ountrv store or
bar-room. Every new expression and
queer tale is treasured up, and new ones
manufactured against the happy time
when they shall meet their brotherS-in-
lar at the approaching term Of tho dis
trict court.
If ever pure fun, broad humor, and
- Laughter holding both his Sides" reign
supreme, it is during the evening of these
sessions. Each one empties and dis
tributes his well-fiIled budget of vii and
oddities, receiving ample payment in like
coin, which he pouches, to again dissem-
mute at his earliest opportunity.
Although we may lay down as q gen
eral rule, that the same words and plira-
ses prevail through the South and West,
yet almost every State has its local pecu-
liarilies; Texas, for instance, the large
admixlure of Spanish words (; Louisiana
of French; Georgia and Alabama bor-
row many words from the Indians. North
Carolina is notorious for a peculiar flat.
ness OF pronunciation in such words as
crap for "crop," earn for ''corn,'' peeri
for "peri," &c. 81 allow," meaning al
think" 81 consider is, we believe, of
Alabama origin, and SO is that funny ex-
preston, done gone, done done, implying
"already gone" and "already done.'-
n Virginia, many Of the lower class pro.
%nounce III as dat for "that," dar for
"there," dis for "lhis."
These and other similar derelictions
may be traced 10 the fact that all children
are inclined to make companions of the
negroes, listen 10 queer rambling tales.
accompany them upon their coon hunts,
&c, and thus acquire a negro style O
pronunciation, and many negro word.
that nothing, save a good education, car
eradicate, and ever that does not alway.
perfectly succeed.
There are two great and distinct elias
n SEES in the United States, the Yankee anc
the Virginian the former occupying ,hc
New England States, and thence spread
ing in almost every direction, claiming
j great portion of the State of Ohio, ant
even a share of Indiana and Illinois, al
} though in these two last mentioned State.
the southern peculiarilies of speech arr
more common the latter properly com
mencing at that imaginary division, MA
> son and Dixon's line,' and thence run
ming south and west.' The intermediat,
States are divided between the two. AL
though New York, PENNSYLVANIA. an,
New Jersey, have been well inoculate,
with a solid basis of Dutch and Swedish
y in their infancy. yet save here and iher
some stray noighborhood of ancient Hol
landers or sturdy Swedes, whose man
y ners, customs, and language. our inlru
sive Yankees have been unable 10 co
) rupt, a few terms and phrases that hav
u creptinto general usage, alone give tokeI
that a foreign tongue once reigned owe
so large a section of our land.
The distinction between these NV
: great classes (lhe Yankee and the Vii
ginian) is so wide and so clearly drawn
as to be visible and palpable TO every cas-
: ual observer. Should one,h however. ev
er hesitate as to the place of nativity {
one of our free and enlightened citizen.
there exists a test, which, potent as III
y spear of Ilhuriel, will dispel all clouds c
doubt that may o~vershadow his mind
Let The person in question be requisite
10 give an opinion upon any subject
Should he guess, write him down a Var
kee does he reckon, you may swea
him n Southern. The Yankee guesse,
Il the Southern reckonS, which our Ne,
England friend never does, except by an
with the aid, assistance, and advice, {
that eslimable arilhmetician and pedt
y gogue, Nathan Daboll, Esq. Per cor
ira, however, The Yankee calculates, an
pretty shrewedly also, while the Suutt
ern diIoVs. The one wouldnt vonier