Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-09-17
POPULAR FOLLIEs INLONpON,


In a work on popular Follics in Great
Cities, an English writer gives us some speci-
mems OK the various ph of which London
is said to be peculiarly fertile, which spring
up suddenly, no one knows exactly in what
spot, and pervades the whole population in a
few hours. One Of these, which has become
rs common in America as in England, and
which still fingers on the stage, was, "Does
your mother know you're OUT This phrase
seems to have been aimed at youth who were
aping the manners of manhood, and was of
great use in taking Juvenile vanity down q peg
or two. Staggering and cigar-smdking young
LOndoners, and immature Irresistibles, staring
women out of cOuntenance after the most ap-
proved style of Simon Tappertit, were often
reduced to their proper dimensions by the ap-
plication of this query. Sometimes it is sup
posed to have been employed in mock concern
and solicltude, implying regret and concern
that one so verdant and unripe should be al
lowed to wander amid the perils of city with
out parentalguidance. what a shocking bad
hat. was another phrase much in vogue. 1t
is said to have originated in a hotly contested
election in the borough of Southwark, in which
one of the candidates, an eminent halter, in
canvassing the electors, invariably said to
everyvoter whose hat was not in the best con-
ditlon, . W hat shocking bad hat you have
got; call at my warehouse and you shall have
a new one" Upon the day Of election, his op-
ponents melted the crowd to keep up an in
cessant cry of ''What a shocking bad hat, ,: and
from thence the phrase spread all over LONDON.
Another favorite phrase at one time with the
multitude was Quoz. 1t was used our author
tells US, when a man wished not only to tell his
opponent that he lied, but that he erred eyre
giousy if he thought any one was such fool
as to believe him; or when a man was asked a
favor which he did not choose to grant, and
desired to signaliZe his sense of the presump-
ton OF asking it; or, when a miscbieyous
urchln wished to annoy passenger, he looked
him in the face, and cried out Quoz Another
strong phrase of the vulgar was, Hookey
Walker" derived from the chorus of a popu-
lar ballad, and which is said to have been ut
tered with peculiar drawl upon the first syl-
liable, and sharp turn upon the last II was
used, to answer all applications for favors that
it was not agreeable to grant, and it usually
accompanied practical jokes, such as pulling
the coat-tail Of a drunken man in the street. or
knocking mis- hat over his eyes. or any of those
other little civilitiss of street life which so
strikingiy distinguish London from Paris.
''Has your mother sold her mangie?'' "Wbo
are you, There he goes with his eve out. :"
and other meaningless phrases, each enjoying
considerable run of popularity, sprang up in
their turn. The famous 80. p - once the
rallying cry OF large party in London, took
its rise In the famous riots which attended the
opening Of the new Covent Garden Theatre in
London, in 1909. The old theatre had been
burnt down, and the splendid edifce which
succeeded it, having cost more than their
means the managers, Harris and John PhiIin
kemble, announced, that in cOnseq uence of the
great expense in building the theatre. and
large salaries to eminent actors the price of
admission to the boxes would be seven instead
of six shillings, and to the pit four shillinys
instead OF three and sixpence, as heretofore
This remarkable determination give rise to the
most extraordinary succession Of riots that as
ever seen in the world. Beginning with the
first night Of TIE opening of the theatre, the
mob took possession Of the boxes and Dit. de-
manding ''Old Prices Forever" and keeping
up the riot for sixty-nghts, before the mana.
ayers succun,bed, and order was restored.
Screams, cat-calls, yells, fights, bells, horns,
and the barking and growing of dogs, intro
duced to the house for that purpose, COM
pletely silenced the regular drama The let
ters %. p. came into general use as an alb
breviatiOn of the universal watchword, OLD
prtces; piacards were every night hoisted in
the theatre bearing this inscription, and the
mob, in shouting their watchword, adopted
the emendation. $50 strong" says a narrator
of this remarkable exhibition of John Bullism
did the popular enthusiasm rise in favor of
the row, that well-dressed ladies appeared in
the boxes with the letters o. p on their bon
nets. o. P. hats for the gentlemen were still
more common, and some were so jealous in
tuc cdust rs 10 sport Wdl5JcOdIS Win an "
brOidered on one flap and p on the other o.
p toOthpicks were also in fashion; and gentle
men and ladies carried o. p. handkerchie
which they waved triumphantly whenever the
row was unusually deafening. The latter sug-
gested the idea of o. p. flags which were occa-
sionally unfurled from the gallery to the length
of a dozen feet At the fall of the curtain, il
became customary to sing ''God save the King"
the whole of the o. P.'s joining in loyal chorus.
Sometimes this was followed by I" Rule Britain
mia, and on two or three occasions, by par
ody Of the national anthem, which excited
great laughter, beginning 49,.
"Oh, Johnny Bull, be true,
Confound the prices new,
And ma Ike them fall f..-
Curse Kemble's politics. y
Frustrate his knavish tricks,
On thee our hopes we fix, "
r upset them all -
This done, they scrambled over the benches
got up sham fights in the pit, or danced the ia
nous D. p. dance. This was done by half a
dozen or dozen men forming in a ring and
stamping alternately with the right and left
foot, calling out Mt regular intervals a. o. p -
so. p" with a drawling and m0notonous
sound. This generally lasted until the lights
were put out All attempts at compromise and
at suppression by the police proved alike una
yailing, until the sixty night, when the
matter was finally ended by the consent of Mr..
kemble 10 an abatement Of sixpence in the
prices of admission to the pit, and the dismis-
sal of an unpopular employer of the theatre, |
the boxes remaining at the advanced price. A
lame and impOtent conclusion Of so much en-
ergy, resembling in all but in de1uctiyeness
the grand promise and lame performance of
the late campaign in Italy .-,
Among its other eccentricities, London, ac-
cording 10 our author, becomes at times pre-
Posterousiy musical. Now it is " The Sea, the |
sea, then All Round my Hat" onsts Old |
neptune IN popular form, and anon sJim |
Crow, introduced by an American actor, took |
the taste of the town. For months, it is said, |
the ears OF ordinary people were stunned by |
the senseless chorus
Turn about, and wheel about,
And do just So
Turn about, and wheel about
And jump Jim Crow"
III In an article upon diamonds, in Harpers'
Maazine, IL Is stated that the best quality Of slex
which enters into the composition of the admira-
Die limitations Of diamonds made in Paris, is found
m hode Island and is exported to France for that