Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-06-15
Manliness of Speech.

A lecture recently delivered in Carlisle, Eng
land by the Rev. A. Mursell, contained the fol'
lowing amusing but instructive passage:
"The point to which | have next to direct
your attention is manliness Of speech. There
are many young men who seem to consider 1t es
sentia TO manliness that they should be masters
of slang The sporting world, like its brother,
the swell mob, has language of its own; but
this dog English extends beyond the sporting
world. 1t comes with its hordes OF barbarous
words threatening the entire extinction OF gen.
uine English! Now just listen for moment to
our fast young man, or the ape of a fast young
man. who thinks that to be man he must talk
in the dark phraseology of slang. If he doe
anything remarkably good, he calls it stun
ner," the superlative OF which is u regular stun
ner." If man is requested to pay his tavern
bin, he is asked if he will Stand Sam9" If he
meets savage looking dog, he calls him an "ng-
calls him a ''rummy old cove" A sensible man
is 0chap that is up to snuff" Aman chat is not
remarkable for good sense is "cake'-a "hat"
"a "spoon'-a "stickn-'his mother does not
know he is out" A doubtful assertion is to be
"told to the marines" An incredible state
ment is 'all CANNON" Our young friend never
scolds, but ''blows up"-never pays, but 'stumps
up"-never finds it difficult to pay up, but is
'hard up"-never feels tatigued, but is used
up" He has no hat, but shelters his head be-
meath title" He wears no neck cloth, but
surrounds his throat with "choker." He lives
nowhere, but there is somewhere he hangs OUT. =,
He never goes away or withdraws, but ne "bolts"
he "slopes"-he ''mizzles"--he ''makes him.
self scarce"-he "walks his chalks"-he makes
tracks"-he "cuts his stick"-or, what is the
same thing, he ''cuts his lucky" The highest
compliment you can pay him is to tell him that
he is Irregular brick" lie does not profess to
be brave, but he prides himself on being 'pluoky."
Money is word which he has forgotten, but ne
talks good deal about 'tin," and "the needful, T"
the ''rhino," and the 'ready." When man
speaks, he "spouts"-when he holds his peace
he "shuts up''-when he is humiliated, he Is ''ta-
ken down peg or two" and "made to sing
small" He calls his hands paws" his legs
'pins." To be perplexed, is to be 'hummaxed"
to be disappointed is to be 'dished'-to be
cheated is to be ''sod"-to be cheated clearly
is to be "done brown" Whatsoever is fine is
''nobby"-whatever is shabby is "seedy"-what-
ever is pleasant is Jolly" He says "blessed it
he does this" "blowed if he does that" J"
changed" if he does the other thing; or he ex-
claims my eye!" my stars !! you ASK niia L,
which were his stars, he would be Illuminated"
Then he swears "by George"-"by the piper
or select occasions he selects "the piper that
played before Moses. Now, good deal of this
slang is harmless; many OF the terms are, think,
very expressive; yet there is much slang that
is Objectionable. For example, as Archdeacon
Hare observes in one of his sermons, the word
governor" as applied to father, is to be rep
rehended / have heard young man call his
father the relieving officer" Does it not be-
tray on the part of young men great ignorance of
the paternal and flial relationships, or great con-
tempt for them? The fathert to such young men
is merely governor-merelY the representative
of authority. Innocenty enough, the expression
is used by thousands young men who'venerate
and love their parents, but only think of it, and
am sure you will admit that it is a cold, heart
less word when thus applied, and one that ought
forthwith to be abandoned.