Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-07-01
Slang.

N icStuiC icSciitlI dcilscteu III O"HoiO
England, by the Rev. A. Mursell, contain
ed the following amusing but instructive
/ passage:
'sThe point to which l have next to direc
attention is manliness in speech. Their
are many young men who seem to consid
er it essential to manlincss, that they
should be masters of slang. The sporting
world, like its twin brother, the swell mob
has language of its own; but this dog
English extends far beyond the sporting
world. 1t comes with its hordes of bar.
barous words, threatening the entire ex
tinction of genuine English! Now just
listen for moment to our fast young man,
or the ape of the fas. young man, who
thinks that to be man, he must speak in
the dark pharnseology of slang. lfhc does
anything on his own responsibility, he does
it on his own hook If he sees anything
remarkably good, he calls it 'stunner, the
superlative of which is regular sumner
If man is requested to pay tavern bill,
he is asked if he will stand Samg If be
meets a savage looking dog, he calls him
IAN ugly customer If he meets an eccen-
trio man, he calls him 'rummy old cove
A sensible man is IA chap that is up to
snuff A man not remarkable for good
sense is cake a 'fat,' Spoon stick,
his mother does not know he is OUT A
doubtful assertion is to be 'told to the ma
rines., An Incredible statement is 'all gam
mon.' Our young friend never scolds, but
'blows up never pays, but stumps 'up;;'
never finds it difficult to pay, but is 'bard
up' 'never feels fatigued, but is used up
He has no hat, but shelters his head be-
meath tile He wears no neckcloth, but
surrounds his neck with a 'choker.' He
lives nowhere, but there is a place where
he 'hangs OUT He never goes away or
withdraws, but he bolts he 'mizzles,' he
makes himself scarce he walks his chalk
he makes tracks, he cuts bis stick or
what is the same thing, he cuts his lueky.'".
.sThe highest compliment you can pay
him is, to tell him that he is regular
brick He does not profess to be brave,
but he prides himself on being 'plucky.-
Money is word which he has forgotten,
but he talks a good deal about 'tin, and
'the needful,' the rliino,' and the ready
When man speaks he 'spouts,' and when
he holds his peace he Shuts up;;' when he
is humiliated, he is taken down a peg or
two,' and made to sing small He calls
his hands paws his legs pins To be
perplexed, is to be sffummuxed;' to be dis
appointed, is to be 'dished to be cheated,
is to be 'sold;' to be cheated clearly, is to
be done brown Whatsoever is fine, is
'nobby;;' whatsoever is shabby, is 'seedy;;'
whatsoever is pleaeant, is Jolly He says,
blessed if he does this 'blewed if he does
that hanged if he docs the other thing;'
or he exclaims my eyes" my starsp If
you asked him which were his stars, he
would be 'Aummuxcd.' Then he swears
'by Georgc;' 'by the piper On select oc-
casions he selects the piper that played be-
fore Moses Now a good deal of this slang
is harmless; many of the terms are, | think,
very expressive; yet there is much in slang
that is Objectionable. For example, as
Archdccon Hare observes in one of his ser
mons, the word, governor as applied to n
father, is to be reprehended. l have heard
a young man call his father the relieving
officer Docs It not betray on the part of
the young man great ignorance of the pa
ternalalial relationships, or great con-
tempt for them? The father is to such
young men merely a governor; merely rep
resentative of authority. Innocently
enough, the expression is used by thou
sands of young men who veneratc and love
their father; but only think oft, and |
am sure you will admit that is aeold heart
lees word when thus applied, and one that
ought forthwith to be abandoned"