Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-05-19
MANLlNESS OF SPEECH.

lecture recently delivered in Carlisle Eng
land, by the Rev. A. Mursell, contained the
Ioilowlng amusing but instructive passage:
Ine point to which L have next TO direct atten-
ton Is maniiness In speech. There are many
young men who seem to consider essential TO
maniiness, 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 far beyond the sporting world.
1t comes with its hordes Of barbarous words,
threatening the entire extinction of genuine
English. Now just listen for moment to our
last young man, or the ape Of a fast young
man, who thinks that to be man be must talk
IN the dark phrsseOlOgy Of slang If he does
anything on his own responsibility, he does it
on his OWN 9 hook" IL he sees anything re-
markably good, he calls it a 'stunaer,S the
superlative OF which is a Irregular sumner "
IL man is requested to pay a tavern bill. he
Is asked if he will Stand SAM" II he meets
q savage looking dog he calls him an ugly
customer Ii he meets On eccentric man, he
calls him n "rummy old cove" A sensible
man 10 'chap that's up to snuff" A man
not remarkable for good sense is ';caks''-a
e" 1at'-a 'spO"n''-a stick. his mother
does not know he is out A doubtful asser-
ton is to be told to the marines An in
credible statement ia ''all CANNON" Our
young friend never scolds, but elbows up
never pays, but "stumpS up''-never finds it
difficult to pay, but is % hard up''-neyer feels
fatlsued, but is used up" He has no hat,
but shelters his head beneath a title" He
wears no neekcloth, but surrounds his throat
with ''choker.' lie lives here. but there
Is some place where ne g hangs out" He never
goes away or withdraws, but he "bolts''-he
slopes he "miZzles''-hs makes himself
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
sNrRVnIar hrtn Il 10
to be brave, but he prides himself on being
piueky Money is a word which he has for
gotten, but he talks good deal about "tin,''
and :" the needfGl,' ''the rhino," and the
ready" When a man speaks, be sspouts''-
when he holds his peace, he shuts up''-when
ne Is Illuminated, he Is taken down a PEI or
two, and made to sing small He calls his
hands paws, his legs ''pins." To be per-
picked, is to be = hummaxed''-to be disap-
pointed, is to be ''dished''-to be cheated is to
Do sold to be cheated clearly, is to be
done brown" Whatsoever is fine. is mob
by Whatsoever is shabby is 'secdy'-what-
soever IS pleasant. is jolly" He says BLESSED
II ne does this, : blOwed if he does that
hanged If he does the other thing; or he
exela'ms Ny eye" my stars,' If YOU
asked him which were his stars, he would be
hummaxed.' Then he swears - By George''
=" by the piper'-On select occasions he selects
&" the piper that played before Moses" Now.
sooo ueai Oh TINS slang Is harmless; many of
the terms are, l think, very expressive; yet
there Is much in 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 reprebended. I
have heard a young man call his father the
relieving officer" Does it not betray on the
part OF young men great ignorance of the pa
ternal and flial relationships, or great con-
tempt for them. Their father is to such young
merely In,
tative of authority. Innocentiy enough. the
expression is used by thousands of young men
who venerate and love their parents; but only
think OF II, and L am sure you will admit that
1t Is a cold, heartless word when thus applied.
and one that ought forthwith to be abandoned.