Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-06-05
NO. 134.
MISCELLANEOUS READING,
MANLINESS OF SPEECH.

A lecture recently delivered 10 Carlisle,
Eagland, by the Rev. A. Mursell, contained
the following amusing but instructive pa
sage: "The point to which have neXt TO d.
rect attention is mauliness 10 speech There
are many young men who seem to consider
it essential to msnliness, that they should DC
masters of slang. The sporting world, like
its brother, the swell mob, has language 81
its owu; but this dog-Englisb extends lar be
yond the sporting world. 1t comes with Its
hordes of bar5arous words, Threatening the
entire extinction Of genuine English. Now
Just listen for moment to our fast young
man, or the ape of a fast young mar, who
thinks that to be man he must talk lr the
dark pbraseology OF slang. Ii be does any
thing on his own responsibility, he does 1t
on bis own hook" II he sees anything re-
mark .bly good, be calls it "stunner," the
superlatve Of which Of which is regular
stunner" II man is requested to pay
tavern bill. be is asked if be will stand
Sam" Ii be meets a savagelooking dog, be
calls him an ugly customer" If he meets
an eccentric man, he calls him "Tummy old
cove" A sensible man is "cbsp that is up
to snuff" A man not remarkable for good
sense is a "cake"--a "fat'--a "spoon"-s
"s,ck'-"his mother does not know be is
out" A doubtful assertion is TO be told to
the marines" 4 Incredible statement Is
"all gammon" Our young friend never
scolds but blows up" never pays, but
"stuaps up"--neyer fnds it difficult to pay,
but is "hard up"-never feels fatigued, bot
is used up" lie has no hat, but shelters
his head beneath tile" He wears no
peckcloth. but surrounds bis throat with
"choker." He lives nowhere, bot there IS
some place where be "hangs out" lie never
goes away or wthdraws, but he "bolts"-he
"slopes"--he ''mizzles s"--be makes himself
scarce"--he walks his chslk"-he makes
tracks"-he "cuts his stick"-or what IS the
same thing, he "cuts his lucky" The bgi
est comp piuent you can pay him is to tell
him that he is regular brick" lie docs
not profess to be brave, but he prides himself
ou being "plucky"
Money is a word which he has forgotten,
but he talks COED deal about "tin," and tho
,'needful," the "rhino," sod the ready
When a man speaks, be "spouts"-when lie
holds bis peace, be ..sbuts up"-when he is
humiliated, be is taken down peg or two"
and made to sing small" He calls bis
hands paws" his legs "pins." To be per
ple.eS, ia to be ''aummaxed"--to be disap-
pointed, is to be "disbed"--to be cheated, is
to be "sold"--to be cheated clearly, is to be
done brown" Whatsoever is fine, is mob
by"-whatsoever is shabby, is "seedy"--
whatsoever is pleasant, is Jolly" tie says
Blessed if he does this, ""blowed 1t he does
that" hanged" if be does the other thing;
or be excIaims my eyes" "my stars" II
You asked him which were his stars be would
be "aumma1ed" Then he swears by
George"-"by the Piper"-on select occa-
sions he selects "the piper that played before
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
Archdescon Hare observes in one OF bis ser
MONS the word governor" as applied to
father, is to be reprebended. | have heard
a young man call bis father the relieving
officer" Does it not betray on the part OF
young meu great ignorance of the paternaI
and tilial relationships, or great contempt Tor
them? Their father Is to such young men
merely = governor--merely the representa-
tive Of authority. Innocently enough, the
expression is used by thousands OF young
men who yenerate and love their parent
but only think Of it, and | am sure you vii
admit that it is a cold, heartless word, whea
thus applied, and one that ought to be forth
with abandoned"