Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-04-04
Foreigners and the English Lam
Puage.

The English language must appear fear
fully and wonderfully made to foreigner.
One Of them, looking at picture Of num-
Der of vessels, said,
"Sec what flock of ships"
He was told that flock Of ships was call
ed feet, but that a fleet of sheep was called
n flock. And it was added, for his guidance
in mastering the intricacies Of our language,
that L" a flock of girls is called bevy, that a
bevy Of wolves is called pack, and pack
Of thieves is called gang, and gang Of
angels is called n host, and host Of por-
poises is called shoal, and a shoal Of buffa-
loes is called a herd, and herd Of children
is called troop, and troop of partridgcs is
called galaxy, and a galaxy of rufians is
called a horde, and hoard OF rubbish is
called heap, and heap of oxen is
called a drove, and drove of black
guards is called mob, and mob Of whales
IS called a school, and school OF wor-
shippers is called a congregation, and
a congregation of engineers is called a
corps, and a corps of robbers is call
ed band, and band Of locusts is called a
swarm, and swarm of people is called a
crowd, and crowd Of gentlefolks is
called the elite, and the elite Of the city's
thieves and rascals are called the roughs,
and the miscellaneous crowd OF city folks is
called the community or the public, accord
ing as they arc spoken Of by the religious
community or secular people.
"Now, again, the Hudson River is fast
when the ice is immovable, and then the ice
disappeared very fast, for it was loose. A
clock is called fast when it is quicker than
time but a man is told to stand fast when
he is desired to remain stationary. People
fast when they have nothing to eat, and eat
fast, consequently, when opportunity offers. "
4 story is told of German who attempted
to court in English, with the aid Of die
tionary. Having obtained an interview with
an English lady who, having recently lost her
husband, must be open to new offers, he
opened the business thus:
"Highborn madam, since your husband
have kicked dc bucket"
"Sir :" interrupted the lady, astonished
and displeased.
"Oh, pardon-nine, ten thousand pardon
Now make new beginning quite anoder be-
ginning. Madam, since your husband have
cut his stick"
1t may be supposed that this did not mend
matters; and reading as much in the lady's
countenance, he said, perspiring with shame
at having a second time missed fire:
Madam, since your husband has gone to
kingdom come"
This he said beseechingly, but the lady
was past Precipitation by this time, and rapid
" moved toward the door. Taking a last
hurried look at his dictionary, the German
flew after the lady, crying out in voice Of
despair:
MADAM, since your husband, your most
respected husband, have hoped de twig-"
This was his sheet-anchor, and as this
also "came home" of course the poor man
was totally wrecked. 1t turned out that the
dictionary he had used had put down the
verb ster6en Ito die) with the following wor-
shipful series Of equivalents:
/. To kick the bucket.
2. To cut ones stick.
3. To 60 to kingdom come.
To hop the twig to hop off the perch into
DAVIS locker.
AFrench translator of Cooper's "Spy,'
in which it will be remembered the residence
Of the Wharton family is called " The Lo-
GUSTS" found this term rendered in his die
tionary, lies Sauterelles The Grass
hoppers." But in one place one Of the dra-
goons is represented as tying his horse to
one of the iocusts on the lawn. The transla-
tor, taking it for granted that American
grasshoppers must be ofgigantic dimensions,
gravely informs his readers that the dra-
COON fastened the bride of his charger to a
huge grasshopper standing before the door
for that purpose.
A French gentleman, who was caressing a
dog one day, remarked, " love de dogs, de
cats, de sheep, de pigs, in short anything vat
is beastly."
or course, We make as funny mistakes in
other Languages, if we only knew it.
Miss Blank, it is known, is accustomed to say
Many very queer things in very queer way !;
But of ali her mistakes. the absurdest and old
est
Occurred when she called French moaiae