The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-12-18
SLANG PHRASES.
Am Account of Some of Them In local
Use.
Then they would talk
Good Gods how they would talk"
Let us present a fav specimens.

"Then they would talk
Good Gods how they would tall"
Let us present few specimens.
What does Old Probabilities says ?"
" Cheese it," "Tumble to a rack
et," "You know how it is your
self, "Bally boy with a glass
eye," sob yes, I've been there"
"That's the worst I ever heard"
"That's what told him" What are
you going to do about it - Put head
on him, )" els that your little gamef7
"You old duffar," " What che elk, :"
"Give us rest" "That's what's the
matter" ''Let's take asmile," Where's
Tom Collins % "Gone where the wood
bine twineth,'' Like a Philadelphia
lawyer" "He'd skin your very teeth, :"
i" He's no chicken" He doesn't scare
worth cent" There's niger in the
fence" " Go for him." "Mind your
eye," George I'll strike you like a
real man." "George, I'll hit you with
feather" "Over the river (au reUoir),
George" "That's what my wife said, "
"There's music in the air, +" ''Big Six"
Hes got the stamps" cred hot,
" Go west, young man, go west, " Rip,
slap, set him up again, " How is that
for high ?" Its put up job" "Ko-
rect, " He did his level best" "Loaf-
ing around the THRONE" You're nice
young man." You're too fresh, p"
"Yon're altogether too new" "It's all
the CO." "Show me your man"
There's too many frills about him, p"
"What a sport, "He knows what's
what" "Tt's all o. K. +" "Keep a stiff
upper lip" eft won't wash, ;" "Maniac
water" '' You lie, vilIiar, you know you
lie" ''You lie for British gold" "Step
up to the captains Office "He's
naughty but he's NICE" "I smell a
mice" "He's too high toned" 3D." Go it
lemons" " Put Mansard roof Cd him"
Don't put on an agony" "Whip the
hand?' "High, .low, Jack and the
game,' eco it blind" "My gay and
festive cuss," (Artemus Ward), "Knee
high to grasshopper," 81 link he's
perfectly charming with marked &C
cent on the charm, young ladies
phrase)," &c Paddle your own canoe"
&c A big thing on ioe,' Two can play
at that game" 'Like Muldoon, he is
solid man." Willie, haves you had
your morning bounce p "Ah, going for
a walk ?"
"Oh, George. he is charmer, oh"
SCOT brick in his hat" CA nobby
YOUTH He's dressed to kill, !" "The
bloated bondholder," "I'm in the same
boat" "WeIl take a whack at it,
"Simmer down." "You've dropped
something o." ''On the fly" "Don't
give it away" "Shoot that hat,
That's oil oaunn,o,l Hno Won see
any green Or in nv eve ?" 60 it while
you're young" ;" He'll laugh the other
side of his mouth" "Have you seen
the elephant ?" "Cut his tail off behind
his ears 'Schware off" (Jeferson's
Grip Van Winkle)," "Draw it mild, :"
CTS no 60" "When the soup house
moves away" 600 way, I'm q bad
man." "Put me- in my little bed"
"That's too thin" "Oh, Keller, don't
you want te buy dog?" ST should
smile if you didn't, How does the
land lay?" "You can't most always
sometimes generally tell" "Why is
this thus ?" 'sWeIl shake hands across
the bloody chasm, Greedy "a phrase
which afforded good opportunity dur
ing the last political and presidential
campaign for the ''small fry politi-
CkdLS 10 1SG OII EuS11
POWDER, "He slings nasty pen"
"Dead to rights" "Bring him to his
OATS" "Give him away" ellis little
bill, Chang it up" clay him out, "
"a murderous phrase in use among the
s. Battle Row Gang)," keep cool, "
" Used up" "Quite some" (Western
colloq), "Oh, let it slide, "Soft soap"
or Sawder" iSam Sticks favorite ex-
pression), "Shine EN- up" or Want
a shine?i
The foregoing expressions are heard
every day wherever the English tongue
is spoken or written. They are used by
that shrewd observer of human nature,
its weakness and foibles-the street
gamin, including the newsboy and the
bootblack, the nattily- DIRE. sed clerk, the
fair and pretty school girl while even
the banker, the broker and elegant pro-
fessional gentlemen employ them be
cause they are pithy and to the point,
and come TO the " minds eye" when
more elegant and correct English fails
to "come to time" at the critical mo-
ment. It is not always an easy matter
for even an educated or cultured gentle.
man to employ the most elegant diction
with which ne is familiar. Many per
son acquainted with the difficulties of
extemporaneous speaking will recognize
the truth OF this statement and readily
recall to memory the "sinking feeling"
confused state of mind and hesitancy of
"the words up fit to their own thoughts"
at the proper time when called upon
suddenly for a speech or ADDRESS.
On the stage this sinking sensation or
inability to utter the "lines" at the
proper moment frequently happens to
young and inexperienced devotees of the
'sock and buskin," particularly at the
first appearance or debut, and is known
either as nervousness or "stage fright.
In fact, the journals containing critical
notices of the debut of Miss c. -, on
the tragical stage at the - theatre, of
the previous night, will quite frequent
" say : "The lady showed unmistak-
able genius. She has an excellent voice,
a fine stage presence, an evident appre-
citation of the requirements of tragedy,
and when the nervousness incidental to
a first appearance has worn off she will
be a desirable acquisition to the Brook
Ign stage" Now, there is another class
of professionals connected with the
drama who quite frequently fail in their
SO lines" or respective parts, and who,
the nOnchalance or ease &C.
quired by their profession, will not by
any manner of means become nervous
over it. And when affairs come to such
a pass they introduce what is known in
stage slang as gags" and "hits" (wOrds
not in the text or play which frequently,
if the actor is a man of wit, please the
''gods" immensely and "bring down
the house" Hence, probably, the ori-
gin of the phrase 'playing to the gal
lery" or "p.ayiDg to the gods" 1t is
bad habit, however, as it frequently
give rise to anachronisms and other in
and when an &C or is per-
feet in his {" lines" should in no wise be
It is. said that the intro
duction of the "gag" or chit" is fire.
quently INDUCED in by amateurs who
would be professionals. If so, they
either commit an error or labor under
1elusion, for the reason that "star"
Or really meritorious actor will not stoop |
to such means in order TO make his wit |
It was probably the in
reduction of gag" at the first pro-
1uction Of Homes tragedy of "Doug- |
ass in Scotland that induced an en-
husiastic "god" in the "pit" to raise
md say:
Weel, lads, what do you think of
While Shakespeare noo?"
Thus is slang often introduced on the |