Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-07-27
AMERrcANnMs.

Mr. Maeksy, in his new book about America
gives the following specimens Of words th at have
lost IN America their original English meaning:
10 ersre.Js, means to agitate, ysx, or trouble.
Thus II is said Of senator in Congress, that he
Is sTereissa by the great question he is abou,
to bring forward, or that Mr. was much
srsr1ss6 by an attack upon him In a news-
BrigAt means 'solever.'' =, A clergyman or
man Of talent, would in America Be called q
"bright' man. s-rs,- ,..l 80 20. -
Clsrsr means "amiable and courteous. ~ A
relerer" captain is one who il friendly, atten-
tive, and polite to his passengers Among the
Recommendations sometimes advertised in the
Mississippi and Ohio steamboats, is that the
captain and the clerk are the ''cleverest', on
the line, and for this reason agreeable to the
ladies. -: -f4.t .5s.-. ~ - t-..7-@s -
Amiabis means 'sstupid y" member of
the House Of Representatives, and most wor-
thy man, was highly offended at hearing his
friend called "amiable" by an Englishman.
He thought the phrase implied a repr6ach, or
sneer, and declared that the word "amiabie''
was synonymous with what in English slang is
called "spooney" s'You may call woman
"amable,n said he, 'but not man.,
This is In obedience to the same law of char
acter which has given among us the meaning of
stiffness to the words innocent or simple, and
has disgraced the sense Of the word silly itself,
which once meant only blessed and innocent; as
there are thousands who would still account it
more reproaeh to say Of a man that be was "a
blessed innocent" than to call him fool.
Among the pure Anericanisms may be cited
the following = ..-l -.~i.-. .... -. $50
To h1neyIngle, to slo.e, hatser, bamboo.le,
or "take In. .r.
High falutin, or .reriooteu, signifies high.
ho.n, exaggerated, and bombastic in, speech or
writing. F., -, n, .- -
SpiWrgs, display, An outburst of expendi-
ture, such as to cfeatsa sensation among the by-
ISLANDERS or witnesses. a1i r s-..r = ~
70 va,aoss' to dscsmp or vanish. s'l ~. s-i
Svanser. a dandy, or "svell'' ....y' "a, q -
MHng. sham, false, pretended. r,,.,s..,
Ming news, a fabrication. o- ~ .rrsT5
Bender, u spree. io.sls-5 .-. .... ---r-,,..,i
TO go on the bender, to 60 on the SPREE
Crit, the, real SrIt. the trne prif!' These
words or phrases are used TO signify q person
Of superior worth, solidity, and genuinenass, rs
distinguished from another who is inferior, or
merely '.chaff.' The miller is evidently the
parent Of this expression. a.,s ...' -
lady, Several declensions to dinners and balls,'
The word is equivalent to refusal, but it seems
70 mean refusal for reasons assigned decli-
nature. - ii -.'-' ~ - F4t' > =
Bogus, FALSE or sham Jsaid- to be derived
from the name of q man notorious for issuing
counterfeit notes. Hence bogus news, a
bogus meeting, "bogus" baby, . "bogus''
senator, "bogus' convention. -.
Whole-souied, very common phrase in
America to express hearty, enthusiastic per-
son. In Lioyd's RatI,cay Guide, the Brad.
shaw of America, it Is stated of one Of the no.
tells In principal city, that "Colonel -,
the proprietor, is q whole-souled landlord ,"
Bfm. Hit him bim in the eye--f. e., right
in the eye.
zffzzAe. slight quarrel controversy /
stampeds, a rush, q multitudinous exit
S0caoiOgsr, . knock down blow. There is
species of fsh-hOok of this name.
To opersiaWgh, word apparently derived
from the German or old English, like onslaught,
and signifying to strike over 't.tI GAs = -,
Rocks, moncy-a Californian phrase.
70 Sqmrni, to wriggle like worm. ...
TO tote, to carry. - '.r.. rser . -..
W,lfed, withered.
n dough face; man easily moved to change
his opinion; q person to be wrought upon and
modelled to any particular shaps, like piece
Of dough. ...,- --- d. : ~. - -