Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-09-15
THE GENESIS or SLANG.
Some Of the Popular Phrases Of BY
gone DAYS.

ana eApTtd3lNo slang lOI inc btiSc
expression Of thought. A few years
ago II was popularity supposed that
only the lower classes Of society in
dulged In this form of expression, but
II seems at present 10 pervade all
grades. and the young lady Of Murray
Hill will talk Of ''tips" at Jerome park
In n most nonchalant way, and suggest
that you ''take tumble" or "give US a
rest" with the most ingram Of Goth
ans coarser workings.
Tracing these popular slang phrases
10 their origin constitutes an interest
ing study. and often leads the explorer
into the deepest depths Of literature.
Doubtless thousands Of persons have
heard the expression, "What will Mrs.
Grundy sayY yet not one in a thousand
IL aware that IL is found in the first
scene Of the first act Of MortOn's IA
vorite comedy. "Speed the Plough"
"Too thin" is often heard when the
hearer wishes TO express disbelief I'm
n story. and IL may be found in "Pere-
CRIME Pickle" which was published in
London in l76l. The expression is also to
be found in Shakspeares "IIenry WILL"
scene /. Of act V. "All cry and no
WOOL" very common slang express
sion, Is traced directly to CantO l.. part
l., OF Buffers "Hudibras." The original
reads:
"Or shear swine, all cry AMI no
wool"
For the very often-heard expression.
"What are you giving meg' indica-
tive OF disbelief-no less a source than
the bible Is responsible. IL may I've
found in the thirty-eigth chapter of
Genesis.
by slightly twisting the words "in
pejuS ruere." in that good old Latin
author Virgil. we arrive ut the saying.
ito go the bad" "IIe's a brick" indi-
Gates that the person spoken Of is a
good fellow" and dates from an ex-
preston OF King Agesilaus, who, ON a
certain occasion pointing TO his army.
said: "They are the walls of Sparta.
Every man there is a brick"
There's millions in IL" comes from
Mark Twain's novel "The Golden Age"
and Bret Harte Is responsible for ways
that are dark and tricks that are vain"
Many OF the slang phrases in use are
local New York Is responsible for
"You bet your boots" ayes, stree.
horseny," knights Of the green cloth,"
and thousand like expressions.
Twenty-Five years ago one of the
popular phrases was "Syksey. take the
butt" IL had its origin I'm an express
sion by Frank Chanfrau as Nose in
"life In New York" n very popular
play nj that period. "By a large ma.
iority,' is found in Woolrs play of
The Mighty Dollar" "Step down and
out" is attributed to Rev. Henry
Ward Beccher, and mot for Joe" Is
the refrain Of n Lon ON concert hall
song which was very p pular ten years
ago. "Dog-gone il" was born in In.
diana.
From the immortal Shakespeare q
great amount Of slang Is derived. In
"Othello" the bard speaks of "croco
dies tears" he also speaks of ga
party" aud from the exclamation of
Hamlet, "YOu cannot play upon Inc,
comes "You can't play that on me, y
meaning that the person does not &C.
sept the truth Of the story. "IIe's
gone on her." is only another way OF
putting Polonius' words regarding
Hamlet's love for Ophelia, that he
"was gone; far gone"
"Giving him taffy." Is popularity sup
posed to be of recent origin, but il is
really two hundred years old. and has
been in use in London for fully that
period.
Among the men of note OF the pa,
decade who have contributed to the
slang of the period may be mentioned
Andrew Johnson, whose promise: "I'l
be your Moses" Is still heard. "Shoc
ny was original with Ben Butler. ms
applied TO Hon. 5. $. Cox. "On the
ragged edge" is the offspring of Ply
mouths pastor: "GOne where the
woodbine twineth," was invented by
Jim Fisk; ITO hell across lots" be
longs to Brigham Young; "Where II
would do the most good" came from
Oakes Ames. when speaking of the
placing of Credit Mobilier stock; '.Th,
almighty dollar" may be found i'm Ir
wings works, and the Truthful
James comes from Bret Harte. 1.-THE
regular lum tum prOpah capah" was
evolved from the intellectual true in
wardness of Archy Gordon, n feuilleton,
ist and journalist OF this city.
The following conversation between
couple OF newsboys in Park row will
give an idea Of the American form o.
the English language as improved NJ
TO date:
self"
did he acknowledge the ccrnY"
"Nou bet III he hadn't I'd Jus
put mansard over his eye"
"'lIold your horses hes on Mi
MUSCLE and could lay you out"
"'Not much He's only todd,
blossom, and hangs up his landlord
That's small potatoes and IL
was his landlord I'd sit down on him.
THAT would be the correct thing.
You see he's bad egg and III max,
" warm for him. don't you forget it.
"All right; let's take n nip"
Have you got the necessary"
"1es, l met an old chap who wa
dead gone on piety. and playe,
innocent and he come down with tn,
'rhino.'"
IL Is estimated that two-thiris o
the slang now in use originated will
English tramps and thieves and En-
glish writers.
Among thieves there Is distinc
class Of slang which Is I'm quite com
mon use They denominate a sentenc
OF imprisonment as ''air and exercise
and call n drank "ball." A peniten
tary Is known as a "boarding-school,
and asurgeon Is termeda 'bone-setter.
Money Is known among them a
~ehink," and policeman as n "cop.'
"Dubies" are Eand-cuffs; 'earth bath
Is grave" and ~eternity-box" is tn
proper name for coffin. Hemp is de
nominated "neck-weed;" n slung.sho
II called "neddy," while the head 4