The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-04-14
CHEEK"
some Amaslag Instances. 5 !

CHEEK
Some Amusing Instances. S 1
AS a general thing, we deprecate the
use of slang phrases; but there are
some of them that seem SO exactly ex-
pressive of a habit or characteristic
that The most fastidious etymologist
might be pardoned in the occasional
use of them.
There is kind of guerrilla English
having its origin on the streets, along
the wharves, among the newsboys,
and everywhere beyond the precincts
of the schools. 1t annexes itself to
the language in spite of dictionary
makers; it will not be frowned away
by the disapproval of any LII. D.; it
has its birth somewhere, somehow,
because there is need of it; and pres
emily it ascends from the servants hall
to the parlor and gets a foothold on
the tapestry the newspapers adopt ii,
and thus we have it engrafted upon
the language. The erudite will tell
us that this is all wrong ) that we
ought to draw every expression from
the "well of English undefiled !" and
that (for instance) the word "cheek"
signifies nothing else than that part
of the face below the eyes, on each
side." But facts are facts, after all !;
and people will continue to. use this
word in the highly expressive senses
of unblushing impudence," or eff
fiontery." We have selected it from
the great stream of slang running
through the speech of the people as
perhaps better calculated than any
other to illustrate the wonderful ex-
pressiveness of this guerrilla Eng
lish." -
What dye think ofyoung TT"
was lately asked in our hearing.
"a cheeky boy" was the, answer.
Could volumes have spoken more ac-
curately of fast.saucy young America
than that? "a
At table lately, q clean and hungry"
looking person, whose appearance de-
noted that 'square meals" were with
him as angel visits, coolly appropriated
the whole contents of an uncommon
dish, of which the supply was known
to be limited. His opposite sat wait
ing for the dish to reach him; and as
he saw it replaced, empty. upon the
tadle, after this wholesale appropria-
ton of its contents, his vexation and
disappointment found vent in one
word, uttered with an emphasis that
no amonnt of underscoring here can
reproduce:
"Cheekls fe fe26ls e
The other diners laughed and smiled
approvingly, and the dinner table
pirate Redeemed from his nose beyond
his ears. The lesson will not be lost
on him. saa
We have all had some experience
on the railway trains with a class of
people whose conduct can only flow
from plentiful supply of TIE quality
named herein. We enter car, and
the first view tells us that it is full
or nearly SO. No vacant seats attract
our eye. We walk on, and to us ap-
pears the figure. of spruce young
man, with look of hard decision
about the angles of his face, sitting by
the window, while great Ealise be-
side him occupies the balance of the
seat. We stop, we hesitate we don't
fancy that look but we want seat.
He looks straight out of the window,
and pretends to be unaware of our
presence.
"Sir!' say we. "Sir-" =
He turns his head, and contemplates
us with stony eye. aes5sz
Osiris the whole of this seat ta-
ken?"
"Yes, STRIP
He hurls the words at us like a
charge of shot. We murmur indig-
nantly, Cheek" and pass on. No
other word that we know of can des-
/. cribe such conduct. k6
"Here is the bill for that suit you're
wearing, Mr.. Blue Jay" says the ex-
asperatrd tailor. "Do you propose
to pay it or not, sir? If I've present.
ed it once, 1 have eleven times, SIR"
"Ah, indeed ?" blandly replies Jer-
emy Diddler. Well now, I think
you'd better present it again, and
that'll just make the even dozen, don't
you see? 1 never did like the odd
numbers"
Would anybody think of giving that
any such mild name as impudence ?
1t is cheek-downright cheek.
"Got any four9" asked a fellow
who sauntered into country store
with his hands in his pockets.
"Oh, yes, STRIP answeres the mer-
chant, with alacrity. extra and SUI
perfne-"
"Any sugar" 2"
Certainly, sir: white and yellow
coffee, crushed, powdered-"'rw r
"Butter7" q III hl}A44 -