The New York herald., 1876-01-17
The Use and Abuse OF Slang.

The principal definition found in Web
ster's Dictionary of the word 'slang" is slow,
vulgar, unauthorized language. DIR. John
son merely defines it as the preterit of the
verb "sling," which has, perhaps, an occult,
humorous suggestion of its own. Probably
in the great photographers time slang had
not pervaded all classes of society to the ex-
tent that it now prevails. Even then, though,
it was the language of street humor, as it was
in the days of Aristophanes, Plautus or Mar
tial, and in the present phase of American
society it has become recognized force in
argument or description. Always pithy and
amusing, its use has introduced words and
phrases among us which, from being great
favorites, have become household words.
Many of these words or phrases are prob
ably only serving their apprenticeship, and
will eventually become an active strength in
our language, just as many old English
words that once held a most respectable po-
sition in society have fallen into disrepute
and sunk to the uses of slang
The powerful hold that slang has taken
upon the familiar language of our daily
intercourse may be traced to sort of COM
mercial brevity-the result of mercantile
training and quick apprehension-whic
produces special slang of the factory, ware
house or workshop; and even the college
and the studio have their technical slang
terms, the use of which is known as talking
shop" The discovery has also been made
that the introduction of slang phrase in
vogue on the stage is the surest way to
laughter and applause. The cant or patter
of thieves and rogues is not to be con-
founded with these terse and grotesque
additions to our language, although it has
arrived at the dignity of dictionary and
many learned treatises have been written
upon its derivations.
In England a certain form of slang de-
rived from the barrack or the hunting field
is very popular, and in recent English
novel the expression ''too beastly par
ticular," shows its diffusion in light litera-
ture; but in this country the language
bristles with the most formidable obstacles
to its requirement by any foreigner who
arrives here for that purpose Imagine him
in some casual difficulty hearing the threat
to ''bust his crust" his dictionary would
teach him TO consider himself sort of
human pie. At the club he is told that
certain merchant or broker has ''gone up"
and his wondering mind dwels upon Enoch
and celestial translation; but what idea is
conveyed to his imagination when he hears
the sum of mans happiness measured by
the altitude of his goose?
The brisk sprightliness of slang sometimes
atQnes for its use and renders it constant
colloquial guest; but there are two condi-
tions in which it is objectionable either
its application in literature, even in the daily
news column or the lightest magazine article,
or, worse still, by the lips of the fair sex,
who do not always stick at trife of the
same sort to enforce an argument or illus
trate an epigram. 1t is deformity in that
intercourse which should gld and adorn our
lives.
There is one good thing, however, that
slang has done; it seems to have taken the
place of worse coarseness and more objec-
tionable vulgarity that deforIned both con-
versation and literature o century ago, and
the recognition nowadays is universal that
Immodcst admit OF no defence
| For want Of decency Is want Of sense.