Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-05-06
METAPHORS OF THE PEOPLE.

possible IN Jhe Int lleCtuall1tc OF man with
out metaphor" and he admirably shows
how swords multiply and language in
creases its capacity through the tendency
OF men to observe resemblances "Thus |
from roots meaning to shine, to be bright, |
names were formed for sun, moon, stars,
the eyes of men, gold silver, play, ioy, |
happiness, love. With roots meaning to |
strike, It was possible to name an axe, the |
thunderbolt, fist, a paralytic stroke, a |
striking remark, and stroke of business.
From roots meaning to 60, names were
derived for clouds, for ivy, for creepers,
serpents, cattle and chattel movable and
inrnovable property" Metaphorical syno-
nyms became prevalent as when the sun
was called the bright, the golden, the pre-
server, from its qualities, or when clouds
were called mountains, and rain clouds
cows with heavy udders.
Metaphor, it is thus seen, is the we'll
spring from which are drawn the in.
Vulnerable synonyms which swell our
language. IF our words were divested of
all but their original, literal meanings, half
of what is written from day to day would
be uninteligible. We should receive no
VIVID idea from the description of O man
ofnpnettle with iron frame and nerves of
steel. D.ia.i.'H i9u
The language is,flH of this metaphor
cala use Of words. The fact has been
especially noticed by the iokers of the
period, who produce some of their easiest
effeots OF fswit,by wrenchlng phrase from
its figurative TO its literal meaning. For
inatance, we hear of man who made
shoe for the foot of mountain and
hst.f6r the head of discourse, though 1t
was Suggested that the cap of climax
would hhve been as well. We are told of
a poor dld gentleman who sat down on
tlIe spur of the moment ;-of a gardener
wRes plpnted a blow on his employers
fao8gdf O. young lady who tainted at
bare ides, who wore spectacles to cover
her naked eyes, who refused to sit in the
zap aof tluxuryy even blushing at
the mention of the lapse of
agek forgetting that lapse is not the
pluEaf of lsp), and who would not go to
the sea. shore lest her waist should be en-
circled by an arm of the. sea,
Among list of curiosities might be
mentioned the hook and line with which
fishermen caught q cold; the hammer
whichabroke tpa meetings; q fluke from
the ANCHOR of hope; one of the spurs of
the7Rbcky Mountain; hinge, from
theFgates Of death a story which melted
asheat4 of oak = buttons from coat of
paint spectacles for the eyes of potato;
braces for shoulder of mutton; dye for
the beard of5an oyster; earrings for an
ear of corn; cheese made from the milk
of humanykindness, butter from the cream
of~Ajoke, and eggs got from a nest OF
thiavBs.l ilIi VI
Hut il ismore especially our purpose to
note how the talk of the commonest class
es develops increasingly new metaphors
and grotesque fancies There is an odd
illustration of this in some of the names
for articles of apparel The common black
hat never had respectable name, proba-
bly, ON account of the inherent absurdity
ofthe thing itself-stiff, heavy, unveuti-
lated, hot as a Dutch oven, and towering
up Dan unnecessary height 1t used to
be called beaver, but that name is no
longer correct, the hat being made of silk.
Its most common title is the metaphorical
one of !" steve-pipe," which suggests not
only its shape, but the heat generated in.
side oft. In some sections dress-coat
is scarcely known by any other name
than swallow-tail." The title "shsd
belly /" had particular reference to shape
Of the front that is now out of vogue; the
synonym "claw- w-hammer" gives an ex
cellgnt idea of the tails. But perhaps none
of these is as expressive of the present
shape of this article of full dress, as the
name given by the West Point cadets o
"steel-pen." The narrow standing collal
which was at one time fashionable wa
called cut-throat," which was pecu liarly
appropriate and suggestive. The whit,
neck-tie used by some clergymel
has generally the appearance of being tieC
very, tight, and seems to acquire from thi
circumstance the designation of choker.
The waterfall" worn by ladies, was name(
from the appearance of the curls first used
flowing as it were over the back of tn
head. The Pail Mall Gazette insist
that chignons should be called chouG, o
cabbages. The earliest definition of tn
chignon in our language, given bv Col
grave in 1911, runs thus "Chignon, tn
chyne or chynepeece Of the neck; also,
knot or knurre in peece of wood o
tymber." The earliest description
found in the Mundus Nulie6ris, 1890.
* Behind the noddle every baggage
". Wears bundle cb0uI, in English, cabbage.
ss"HFairholt defines the "choux" as eth
great round boss or bundle of hair, worl
at the back of the head, and resembling
cabbage, from whence the French gave
that name"
United States bills have no popular nam
but greenbacks" The title of stamps
for fractional currency was used a
the time, during the civil wal
when the scarcity of small change neces
STATED the use of postage stamps -includ
ing the gum-in its stead The name c
shin -plasters" was applied to the oil
Continental bills, it is said, for the reasol
that fhe soldiers used them as plaster
for slight wounds on their legs.
A ,grotesque fancy has named foo'
belly ly.timber," and its receptacle tn
ad-bssket. It would not be satisfaC
toryto some to speak of locomotive O
aneengne, but join the idea of an infu
Rated animal to the syllable "gine," an,
the word bullgine' becomes very popu
lar. The dentist has received the title O
Ttdsk holster" and " tooth carpenter" Il
the Southwest, during the war, the un
educated people spoke generally of de
tachment of cavalry as a "critter. com
pany,p of infantry as walk-soldiers,
and' of artillery as cannon-wagons.
The young men Of Chicago are classifie,
as to their, skill on the velocipede it
said, into the " timid toddlers," the war,
wstbblers," the go.it-gracefuls and tn
fancy few" Still more grotesque wa
thestancyof young man who always re
ferred toa stone house as one in which th
under pihning reached clear to the roo
and who, when asked if he would hav
milkand sugar in his tea, replied, "Nt
gently take my tea barefoot"
In the same way flowers get such name
as shepherd'sldial, because of its suscept
bility1to changes of weather; wake-robi
andA euckoo.f flower, which blossom whe
the songs of those birds are first heard
lady's-smock, "all silver white" as Shak
spsaTe sings, because it resembles whit
linen laid out upon the meadows; lady
ear-drop, lady's 's'slipper, morning glory
youth and old age, love-lies-a. bi1eeedinys
and many more which might be mentioned
In the, eastern part of England, evening
called crows time, because OF the gatherin
ofthe rocks to rest. The word "fall," fc
autumn, which is usually called an Amer
canish, though it is used by Dryden
tAAtsense, is pretty metaphor by itsel
Local circumstances suggest idiomati
uetaphors and descriptive terms. In th
Southwest, where people wear colore
woQlen shirts, they speak with great col
fHrttftf ~ a fnrsOn with q bita O,,o N 81