St. Mary's beacon., 1858-06-10
ELIAS" I"

SLANG WORDS AND PHRAsEs.-A lecture re-
Gently delivered iL Carlisle by the Rev. A.
Mursell contains the following amusing and
instructive passage:
The point to which have next to direct at
tcnton is manlncSs in speech. There are
many young men who consider it essential TO
maulincss that they Shonld be masters of slang.
The sporting world like its brother, the swell
mob has language "f its own ; but this dog
English extends far beyond the sporting world.
It comes with its hordes of barbarous words
threatening the entire extinction Of genuine
English.
Sow just listen for a moment to our fast
young man, or the ape Of fast young man,
who thinks that to be a man he must speak in
the dark phraseOlogy Of slang. If he does
anything on his own responsibility, he does it
on his own "honk.' IF he secs anything re-
markably god l'c calls ii a "stunner," the
superlative Of which is regular sumner"
If man is requested to pay tavern BILL he
is asked If he will ''stand SAM" If he meets
a savage-looking dog he calls him an "ugly
customer" If he meets an eccentric man he
calls him q "rummv old cove" A sensible
man is a "chap that's up to snuff"
Our young friend never scolds, but elbows
up" never pays, but "stumps up" never
hat, but shelters his heal beneath "tile." He
wears no ncckcloth, but surrounds his throat
with .'choakcr." He lives nowhere, but
there is some places where he ''hangs out" He
never goes away or withdraws, but he "bolts"
he "slopes'-he "mizzlcs''-he 'makes him
self scarcc'-he "walks his chalks"-he
"makes tracks'-hc "cuts his sticks"-or what
is the same thing. he ''cuts his lucky The
highest compliment that you can pay him Is
to tell him that he is regular brick" He
does not profess tn he brave. but he pridcs
himself on being "plucky" Money is word
which he has forgotten, but he talks good
deal about ''tn," and ''thc needful !" 1.-THE rhi-
MOI and 1.-The ready" When a man speaks
he 'spouts." when he holds his peace he
''shuts up" when he is Inundated, he is
"taken down a peg or two" and "nIade to
sing SMALL Now good deal Of this slang Is
harmless many of the terms are, think, very
expressive, vet there is much in slang that is
Objectionable.
For example, as Archdcacon Hare observes
in one of his sermons, the word governor"
when applied to father, is t" lie reprehended.
I have heard n young man call lis father the
relieving officer" Does it not betray ON the
part of young men great ignorance of the pa
ternal and filal relationship, or great contempt
for them? Their father is to such young men
merely n governor-merely the representative
of authority. Innucently enough the express
sion is used BY thousands of young men who
vcncrate and love their parents, but only think
of it and am sure You will admit that it is
cold, heartless word when thus applied, and
one that forthwith ought to be abandoned.
An ENGLISH VIEW OF THE REsULT or THE
DrrFERENcE.-But what Of the future? 1t is
difficult to forsce. Everything depends on the
discretionary power given to the United States
Naval officers sent off to the Gulf; and not
little upon the instructions given to Mr.. Dali
las, in London. If the former tell our men
of-war's men that they are come to take their
place. and smperrise their oarR traders, real or
feigncd, sre can argue nOthfng Dat dn'eG&e
fcelimqs for these matters are better under
stood by scamcn than by diplomatists. II. on
the contrary, tho nOnscnSicai petulance OF Mr..
Senator Toombs, be embodied IN the SAILING
orders given, there may, perhaps, be collision
dangerous in its results. II, again, MT. Dallas
be desired to ask Of our Ministry solemn re-
cognition of the absolute invlolabiiity OF DIT
Of bunting huistcd by any one, in any place,
under any circumstances, ne T.H "'eo E'M
Aaf refusal Gt anu hazard But If he state
frankly and Quietly that there are special rea-
sons why risk Of collision is incurred oy tins
supervision Of the Cuban coast. We anticipate
that the vessels will he directed to cruise out oi
the ordinary range Of American cCmmerce, OF
ordered to lie Snugly in PUTt. This VIII oe
coupled with the sincerest expression OF regret
ut any injury that has been inflicted, ana OF
willingness TO repair such as can De properly
xubstantiated. We cOnsiJer two paints abSO-
l,,.l,, ,,-4.;,,1la s,,,a that (srezf R1l0in arsu
merer yicId 10 The rvete'lsiOns cf General C9ss /;
the other that she will strain every effort, short
of dishonorable surrender, to avoid change in
the amicaLle understanding which happily