Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-10
SnOb and SWELL
THE WORDS APPROPRIATELY DEFINED BY RICH

ARD GRANT WHITE.
OF words which have two clearly distinct
senses In both countries, the commonly used,
DuC yet slangish and not very pleasant, snob Is
an example. This word, like si0elt in the sense
OF distinguished, elegant, imposing, has not yet,
I believe, been admitted into any dictionary OF
the English language; and yet both are in con-
slant use among all sorts Of people in both coun-
tries, "swell- being even much more frequently
heard In England than here in the very best
society. one Of the most fastidiously correct
English gentlemen that met in England said
to me, "Oh, it's no use any mans trying to be a
may be- the n duke OF Of Westminster is a bigger
swell than he" Another OF the same sort said
OF distinguished barrister who had ALREADY
is thus used BY ladies of the highest rank and
breeding, and pervades the 'poiite literature
or the DAY.
To return to our unpleasant "snob" 1t first
appears, believe, In Crosses Classical Diction-
airy of the Vulgar Tongue, 1855 (of which, %
boOk-hunting reader, possess an original copy
OF the first, Incorporated, edtion), in which 1t
is defined as "a nickname for a shoemaker. -
In the Modern Flash Dictionary, tiny volume
published In 1925, and intended for the waist
coat pocket of the 'bucks" OF George Tvs day,
it does not appear; nor In my own copy, which
was interleaved by some curious gentleman OF
that time for the addition in N inuscrpt OF some
two hundred slang and cant phrase the , PREY
glossary "sweli" which is not found in GrO5e,
appears, and Is defined as ga genteel dressed
man." ''Snob' crept gradually into vogue in
England among the gentry as recognized, but
permitted, slang word for lOw-born, vulgar,
"baSe mechanical' person. This sense it re-
ta1Ged, exclusively believe, until the appear
ance in Punch Of Thackeray'S SnOb Papers, be-
fore Which time 1t was not used and was almost
unknown In this country. In those humorous
and Savagely satrical papers, Thackeray applied
the word to all vulgarly pretentlous persons,
however high their rank or large their wealth;
and this sort OF snob, he said, W IS scattered
freely through all classes Of society in all com
Tries. ''There are SnObS in China, ~ he remarked
HAD ne seen Dlckens's book plate with its crest,
knowing D1ckens'S origin and early habits Of
life, he would have called that snobbish. 10
this sense the word came rapidly into vogue in
the United States. Here it has, in New York
at least, subjected to yet another modification
In certain circles. where it is used to mean a
person who, somewhat pretentiouSly, affects
the society OF persons of condition and wealth
But In England, particularly among the ars-
tOcracy, 1t still retains something OF its ante
Thackerayan meaning. / heard an Amerc an
gentleman say loosely Of himself to peereSS
I'm snOb." She looked at him in amaZement,
and replied, "YOu've a very happy faculty OF
concealing it, then" understood him at ono
as meaning jeSt1ngly that, although a repub-
fcan, he was exclusive in his social tastes; she
regarded 1t as an 1ncOmprehenSibla admission
that he was Of low origin and habits of life
This word, by the change in its meaning, and
by its elevation into vogue among the best
speakers, Is an example OF the power which a
writer OF genius may exert In language; and it
Is also witness of the variation In significance
given to one word by the structure Of the soci-
ETY. In which 1t Is uSed.-[ May atlantic.