, 1870-12-04
The Growth OF Slang.

The growth Of slang r,eans the dec1v OF |
1ApGuage: the admission of nomenclature
whici, dirIesatds Frorriets and fixes upon
objects irrational and inconsistent names. is
enee in il means the inevitable deb,s-
ing OF tie mother tongue, co71ee
which the echola1s Of ali ages hsv, CO.
dcarn1cd to check. while their eflosts were
s..epuou.1s directed to refine, elevate,
i,.g tcu..e,:cy to incorporate into our Altexdy
to-, i,a,is7ous ard incoagruoua language q
i1ut.G 1T cant terms. American colloquAii-nas.
G. irs- a,-, siam c1s-sicisnas. rSofes=ioual idi-
cu.s, U!trAu,onttnisne, anls general deluseof
sea. Of fertility. and degeneration rather than
xxi eu-io,.. England being an adaptive ma
ton. iea1ns and finds home for new-taugled
Ell rss.ions OF al sorts. thioiding hersclf vhea
are no: Of her osn Manufacture; bnt the 2aaser
| ct had coins ia eya1y whit Ii guilty ID the
eoiI or, and Eoglana's ready endorsement OF
the vulgar vocabuability to invent Slang for
he1ralf- s1anE is Of very modern date. There
was much homeltness and no h:tla coarseuosa
in tonae Of the SAYINGS Of tho famous 1rite1s.
and perhaps more facetioosness and signi6-
canee Anonght our great hunaoriets than Will
Be found nowadays; but We sea little or
TO t6ndaaey to slang. Even in the
s;@s": ssa :boa1s 1shs:y.aa s:ys aors sPs! sueIss
| gives u nothing in tbs conrarsation Of his
! foxcr. chsractefs which requires glossary !;
} wl,ilo Dean Swift, had aueh commodity rs
\ rlanE c1saed, woula never have oHitted to
garnieh llis words with it for the good OF pos
: te,ity. Dictionaries Of slang have been pub
I;rhed sircs Ills day. and tbs latest pnsl>a-
q lion. founded on Grose's famous book, has
Q attained to goodly dimenslans; for sl1ng Is
!. on the increase, and no stand las been made
. eft 10 tho lowe.t, cn1siv1tss and speaks it.
u Words which Me not to be found IN any
: STANDARD dictionaries, and which arc unAu'
thorized By grammatical or literary prec sdant
!. sre slang, and tueh words are nsed tnfposh
q degrees OF men indiecriminatcly, The use o
vulgar equiy1lents datinguishee Ill English
men, and it would weary our reaaess, All
+ CERTAINLY not en1tEhteu them. were We +
treat them to complete lst corrected up +
Ecuer,c words in eornmousst use. Fo
e murey xane there are seventeen equivalents
ou without counting tho slang terme spilled I
u the vs,sous epecsea OF coina. OF tbs dlnere1
e1r1ettiona used TO signify tne neahE nsn
- tto tyuon1ms fox drunkenness ne plas1t
n fui, synounting to no less than tbiIty-tws
and for one article Of drink, tru'.tul i9 ps
I. ducinG thees nance, namelF, 'gn,
'he hare ten different equivalents. Man
Gull. m nticIe, eodger, \ but1ez, = party
nd, and sccs rting 10 his E1ade!he has soIae At
subdivisions according to bis profes.lo
ar come eighty or more- This thu we ha
lot, quoted il mere drop in the ocean, mare q
ane nz1ties, enumerated from memory, And vi
:, out The least attempt 1t any exhaustive VI
hAu possibly, with batter kpo.1edge, We mia
our augment the list ty double the amount sl3t
u. however, is not concluded hs1s low II
Eht. guage IL not alone IN its "2rgot; II
! At ion has its vu!gaEsiy, and
ling GOOD deai Of it too-As unnean
va giph<rish ~ 4nythinS that We have givenhi
erto the great Jest Of the fashionable sll
feep being thai it " made up Of Eipeonst1t
lefs FreEch idicua, which In thet EnEish s.
the a1e sheer uorsenec. Witness wedding
sneo The :1pis," !" which is tTlddia; the beau NOR
which il rubhdah; \ The danraats, vhicl
ed = riemarole; chapero,, which is foolishne
1he to eaY nothing Of the meaningless 1riyol
. did of euch vnfts Is fruz pas, n1esdlho.
fos stcae4cAe, ard thousand alhes Wofda Iai
spp'ied- ......--...,...-,..
said As to fashionable pronuncistioos which
}, il thtmselyes mean ~ *'sllng," We take no
n. I nizanea Of them; they arc aeetins 1ate
calm and change ahear aspect every day. Cfinf
appt has ite speela1 slapE, which Is vastly ouens
Fhieh sa being born Of emptiness and A7osa
II the A few technical terms conslttnte the sto<
you, trndo Of even mt critic IN EnRiAno,
,unds fellowship il The tey-ssons of ?,
vho or blame. Thus through III etAtion'
!, xnd society runs tha lodo Of slang.
ceAte our readers for \ moment concstFo
y ex- d.E5ca1ty xhich pFesEnta iteeR to fore'
n end | vhtn he encounters 4 master Of slso8;
70 Aod tribulaten, wha& uncertainty besss: u
Ijfs b hsPpy stfs4xns; II the ao1eot ol oaa u