, 1874-02-01
UNITED STATES ENGLISH.
What q Brit9n Thinks Of tho Dialect
Used in This ''Biarsted"
Country.
Ridiculous ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
barous and Uncouth Enects--.
1fanton and Result1ess
Innovations.
People Who Are Very Nice in Their Language,
but Scarcely In Their Ideas.
From. C}idmbeys' Journal.


From, Chan,bers' Journal.
Sometimes we have thought that the frc
piracy Of English works in the United State
might at least serve one good purpose, namely
that OF preserving the purity OF our common
tongue. Expectations in this respect do no
seem likely to be realized. There has grown
and is still growing up, process Of adulteratio1
of tho language among our American friends
against which no protest is apparently uttered
Without going into anything like regular Is
mentation on the subject, We beg to offer few
specimens OF United States English.
TO BEGIN WITH srELLN0s:
The second ! in the middle OF q word is gener:
ally left out; "leveled, levoling Travelled, travel
ing" will servo as examples. An influence due
I fancy, to the Spanish leaven in the people, fol
the Spaniards always mako single letters serve
| instead of double, whore the sound Of one would
be lost. 1t il not done On principle, because
"skillful" aud ''insta11ment :" arc 10 spelt, by
| exactly reversing the process. Then, again,
! comes the for the c in "offensc, de-
fcnse," and go On; this latter is the
modo Of spelling everywhere, even in
| Harper's editions, Which are otherwise
| admirably "gotten up." In tho popular novel,
| the '' Maid OF Skier" mention is made OF the
Battle OF tho Nile and, in the United States
edition. the Defence ine-of-battle ship Is made
to appear as tho Defense, which is ridiculous,
! and altogether bad, for proper name should
surely be spclt as it was given, without respect
to any improvements or phonetic principles.
expect to see Wellington and Nelson soou.
ssrER" FOR SIRE"
is another prominent example; every little pa
per talks Of "theaters and* centers, Us il it was
determined to do its " Lowell best" to improve
tho language Of the Britishers. So, also in tho
great cities, where it Is at least curious to geo
tho notices in the papers Invariably referring to
the performances ut such and such g thcater,"
while the posters and bills OF tue same estab-
ihhment will as regularly call it 4 theatre"
The readiness with which
is adopted by the highest and gravest Off
cials is really astounding. My renders know
there il = miserable joke extant about one who
rect" but ho epclt it " ol lsrcct " this was seized
upon as wit. and now, TO my certain knowledge,
10. f." is used in large companies Is an Audit
or's or Snperiutendent's voucher to the accounts
he passcs All through tho States. too, it is con-
silered very emart thing to open q shop, and
cali it tho i" b. K" store it is quito understood.
and universally accepted as L really clever and
neat idea, to use these letters. Again, the coarse
expression,
"Ross,''
CATTlE6 With IL lO Q&SIeS.}EEt Al t1o GLatE9
have seen we1l-printed FORMS nicely machine
ruled, and go forth, which wero nsed as sc1led-
ule OF expenses incurred in boarding the en-
ployes Of a certain Company; at the bottom was
. line fol. the signature, as wae indicated by
fore, f ~ "say! Boss" however much it
may jar upon strangers ear 1t first. is soou
discovered to be meant for proper mode OF ad~
dress, and is quite as respectful as any he is
IN Go
tho like: but say sfootinss,r ssfoots up'" and |
total footingsi" and these will appear III
printed official documents.
The commonest mode Of all for filter !
ing the pure we'll OF English undcfled is,
to use word which has some affinity to |
that which we at homo should employ, but |
which, when twisted out Of its place and mean
ing, has most
BARnAHoUs AND uscoCTU EFFECT.
" Tho moon raises .1ate," II guess he wou1d
tions. "ouit is Used in ali sorts Of places
where "dismiss," "cease," discontinue" or
MOI would n, be employed n ge1 r,n[ was
tho speech of an employer when e1-
planning why he discharged man !; although
Tho words, without explanation, would never
convey this me.ning to an Englishman.
IT Quite is employed IN every sense where
seems to me to be moro injurious to the effect
of literary composition than the misuse of any
other single word. ''The enemy was quite in
force "Wonnded quite severely" .sQuite some
ahn and to q th. I'D s'% i tns
word s'picco - to express distance
We say ia piece OF land" or ia piece Of
sater !" but It is nothing less than distortion
II the words use to Say that "you should not
,iece," or, "We are travelling quite piece"
which latter heard said by Judge to T. member
II Congress-, when We were crossing the Mssis-
ppi and. owing to the floating ice, were COM
''''sa to run = h't'o :.sicr' Tay az p tho river
gain, Is a word which is often employed
ervico for tho Visitation Of the Sick
alows what general application 1t
n use. never heard any person speak of bo-
NJ i'll OF unwe!l; thay were always :" sick, - and
Ills when the word vas especially in'appTopfiate ,'
sick he has got q sore back are examples
'as likely to be dangerous Or fatal, you would {
q told that so-and-so was "badly on"
ANOTHER REGULARITY
h1ch strikes an Englishman is, that he does not
ear the weather praised in the various terms
mployed Mt homo. Here we ring the changes !
n lovely, delightful, charming, and beautiful !
ut iu the Great Republic praise is exhausted ,
hen they say: This is pretty day, or What
pretty morning" The word ''elegant" has
, do .strange duty, being applied as I g
ever thought to hear it; tho joint at z
our dinner, the rclsl, at tea-time (always
supper " hy-the-bye), being usually described
, elegant" -
THE TEA N USE r
nearly always wholly green, the consumption
t green tea being fur in advance OF that Of a
ack; directly opposite to the practice in En-
land indeed, ii you require anything different
the hotels, You should order "English break
at-tea,'' which is commonly one OF the items in
10 bill OF faro. My own house VAS prob
,ly the only one, for vast distance,
lere mixed tea was drunk, and was the only
le where. also, to InE London taste, a.cup of