Litchfield enquirer., 1854-06-22
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We confess Co an intense horror of slang and cant phrases. The use of this species cf language appears 10 us in some sort, q shining against light. With the
 well of English. undecided. z hand, and no water rate 10 pay, it issa mystery to us why educated people will insist upon
 padding in the muddy pools of per-
 yerted vocabulary. Time was when this
 vile substitute for language. copious, expressive and fluent, was the especial property of the vulgar and uninstTucted
 ~lhose who either knew no better or did not eare--hut that day has passed, and
 we now hear phrases that were nurtured in the slums and stables. quite domicili- tated in tho parlor. Even our ladies re- ceise and entertain the flthy strangers, and Ws hear expressions fall from their delicate lips. that were bor0 in the obs scene pnilisus Of low night ceilars, and form the standard vocabulary Of such as frequent them. With our men, however, the practice of resorting to slang has grown into 60 great m evil, as to leave serious doubt whether the mother tongue is not in danger of actually becoming ob- -soless. forgotten. and those who cling to. 1t in conversation and composition, of be- ing behind the age, and forced to call in an intefpFeter 10 aid ihem in their inter- course with others. Pierce Egan's Die
 tionary of Flash Terms, recondite work
 heretCfore rarely seen except in the hands of prizesighiers and watch suffers, will soon replace Walker and Johnson. and
 be . part of necessary library. Webs stet, sitiser from an innate taste of .shes idiom. or fOreseeing speedy rhange in that direction, has provided us with \ considerable number of slang and cant words. h lis quarto cOnsibusion, to she injary of our language. Few persons
 uho consent to use this language are aware how ths habit grous upon them, and many pne who would revolt at the ] idea Of consulting with blackgards. does not hesssate at ssipg their conversational jasgo1. No one nov q days understands [ sabjeci; IF is posted ups no state. msnt is untrue it is over the left. We acquiesee in pfoposilion by remarking stllat's so. and add iInpressiveness lo relation 6f fact by tho term { it's nothing shoftsr. II l ask Gmish whether Jones left foE New York iis replies. we'll he did. and f I escape the aiiix hess, ! estgsm myself fortunate. \ person is not said 10 be sich--'he has pocket full of
 rocks: < if something be too dear for pur-
 chass. it sizes bis pile, and n invita-
 ton lo dAncs ia predxed by Z % in lem,
 dns 2 We might sxtend lhis list to al-
 most any Ieneth, but it would only De to
 pefpel1hte tho evil. and Me forbear. If
 men and Nomen only compFehended the injury they are doing themselves. snd
 ln0fs especially their children, by tbis tanpsfinR wish the vesnaeular, and neg lsCt of iia eap2biIilies, they would set guard upon tbsir tongues. and cease io speak lha language cl vnlealians. Let any person lake the trouble to notice, in the coufze of ! sla5 . busiDess. how many consefsstions Ile kas had with his ordi> mary acquainfhnc6s, thai arc not inter, llAraed with these odio6s phrases, and we 1 venture to say that Iie will be surprised. There 2 no uss denying itsouF people l ase becoming dEeAdfully slangy ,and .here |is rel danger q lheir foFeetiiDg their naptber tongue, and finding in another
 generation of twp. Euch hopeless com
 pound of jateon ih iIie pIsce of is as
 Would drive Johnapn and sAelidan crazy
 Let lhe n6Wspepefs leks lho matter ID. 1 bg ssising she exampls pl leaving onG sasll szQnisise diminullge1 Ne Qenls and ]
 rkris md snch lssnls T praise as hc ]