The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-09-22
English and American English.

English and American English.
An American friend of mine. in re-
sponse to the question by an English
man (an exceedingly positive and dog
matte person, as it chanceO, why Dc
Englishmen never say Il guess, re-
piled more Witty than justly, "because
they are always so positive about every
thing" But it is noteworthy that
whereas tho American saws frequently
81 guess" meaning II KNOW" the
Englishman as freely lards his discourse
with the expression. ''You know >
which is, perhaps, more modest Yct
on the other side. it may be noted, thai
the ''down East American often uses
the expression. 81 want to know iu
the same sense as our English expires
sion of attentive interest "Indeed."
Among other familiar Americanisms
may be mentioned the following >
An American who is interested in 9
narrative or statement will say ''Is
that sop'' or simply $50 % The expfes.
sion ''Possible - is sometimes but moi
often heard. Dickens misunderstood
this exclamation rs equivalent to at is
possible, but does not concern me y
whereas in reality it is equivalent tC
tho expression "Is it possible?" have
occasionally heard the expression, ..Do
tell p but it is less frequently heard
now than of yore. -.sl
The word ''right'' is more frequently
used than in England, and used also in
senses different from those understood
in our English usage of the word.
Thus. the American will say Fright
here'' and ''right there" where an
Englislman would say s.just here'' OIL
Just there. or simply "here" or
'.there." Americans say '.right away
where we say directly" On the other
hand. 1 am inclined to think that the
English expression fright WE'LL" for
very welr' is not commonly used in
America. lst.t.
Americans say "yes, sir," and emo
SIR" with sense different from that
with which the words are used in Eng
land but they mark the difference of
sense by difference of intonation.
Thus, if question is asked TO which
the reply in England would be simply
..yes" or "no" Cor. according to the
rank or station of the querist, ayes, sir, ~
or mo, sir"), the American reply
would be Eyes. sir," or mo, SIR" in
tonated rs with US in England. But if
the reply is intended to be emphatic,
then tho intonation is such as to throw
the emphasis on the word '.sir'-the
reply is Eyes, sii.," or 'no, sis." In
passing, 1 may note that never heard
an American waiter reply '.yessir." as
our English walters do. ~l
The American use of the word ssquit''
is peculiar. They do not limit the word.
rs we do, to the significant stake leave
i'm fact, have never heard an Ameri-
can use the word in that sense. They
generally use it as an equivalent to
s.leave OFF, or ''stop." Qn passing.
ono may notice as rather strange the
circumstance that the word ''quit, :"
which properly means ''to 60 away
FROM" and the word ''stop," which
means to ..stay." should both have
come to be used as signifying of ''leave
off.") Thus Americans say ''quit fool
ing" for .'leave off playing the fool,
"quit singing" ''quit laughing" and
SO forth.
To English ears an American use of
the word some" sounds strange-viz.,
as an adverb. An American will say,
II think some of buying a new house,"
or the like, for II have some idea OF
buying,. etc. have. indeed heard the
usage defended as perfectly correct,
though assuredly there is not an in
stance in all the wide range of English
literature which will justify it.
So, also. many Americans defend rs
good English the use of the word
"good'' in such phrases as the follow
ing: 81 have written that note good, :"
for .well;'' "that will make you feel
good'' for ''that will do You good" and
in other ways, all equally incorrect.
OF course, there are instances in which
adjectives are allowed by custom to be
used as verbs. as for instance, fright"
for BRIGHTLY" ETC., but there can be no
reason for substituting the adjective
..good'' in place of the adverb "well,"
which is as short word and ut least
euphonious. The use of ''rear'
for ''really," as "renl angry" ''real
NICE" is, of course grammatically in
defensible.
The usc of the word elegant for
''fine" strikes English ears as strange.
For instance. if you say to an Ameri-
can, ''This is a fine morning." he is
likely to reply. at IS an elegant morn
ing" or perhaps oftener by using simp-
ly the word Elegant" It is not a
pleasing use of the word.
There are some Americanisms which
seem more than defensible-in fact,
more correct than our
English usage. Thus. we seldom hear
in America the redundant word ''got''
in such expressions as II have got,"
etc.. etc. Where the word would not be
it is yet generally replaced
by the more euphonious word 'tgotten,"
now scarcely ever heard in England.
Yet, again, we often hear in America,
such expressions as II shall get mo a
new book" II have gotten me q dress"
II must buy me that" and the like.
This use of .'me'' for myself is good
old English, at any rate.
have been struck by the circum-
stance that neither the conventional.
but generally very absurd, American Of
our English novelists, nor the conven-
tional. but at least equally absurd, En-
glishman of American novelists, is
made to employ the more delicate
or Anglicisms. We gen.
orally find the American guessing" or
calculating" if not even come cnarsely
like Reade's Joshua Fullalove.
while the Englishman of American
novels is almost always very coarsely.
British, even if he is not represented as
using what Americans persist in re-
garding rs the true ''Henglish hac-
cent" Where an American is less
drawn. as Trollope's "Anieri-
can Senator" he uses expressions
which no American ever uses, aud mono
Of those Americanisms which, while
more delicate, are in reality more char
because they are common.
all Americans using them. AMI in like
when an American writer in
PRODUCES an Englishman of the more
natural sort he never makes him speak
rs an Englishman would speak be-
tore half a dozen sentences have been
uttered he uses some expression which
is purely American. Thus no English
man ever uses and no American may
be recognized at once by using such
as II know it, or .sThat's
,o." for 'It is true" by saying "Why.
for certainly" and so
forth. There are great number of
hese slight but characteristics peculiar