Richland beacon., 1881-10-15
GR1.N.M-1Ii, EFT CE1EKA.
English, and -fncricoJ. Enytish.

pied (more wi.tily than JUSTLY, "Bc
cause they are SO positive about every
thing But it is noteworthy that whereas
the American says frequently 81 guess,
meaning 81 KNOW" the Englishman a.
frequently lards his discourse with the
expression "You know" which is per
haps more modest. Yet, on the other
side, it may be noted that the ",!own
East " American often Uses the expires
siOn "l want to know" in the same
sense as our English expression Of at
tcntive interest Indeed"
Among the other familiar American.
Isms may be mentioned the following:
An American who is Interested in Il
narrative or statement will say "Is that
SOP" or simply "So?" The expression
Possible :" is sometimes hut not often
heard. Dickens misunderstood this cx-
clamatlon as equivalent to 1T is posi-
bic, but does not concern me-" wherca,
IN reality it is equivalent TO the express.
sion "Is it possible 2" I have occasion
ally heard the expression "Do tell !"
but it is less frequently heard now than
of yore.
The word "right" is more frequently
used than i'll England. and is used also
i'll senses different from those understood
in our English usage of the word. Thus,
the American will say fright here" and
fright there" where an Englishman
would say "iust here " or "ju.t there
or simply "hcre" or there" Ameri-
cans say fright away" where we say
" directly" On the other hand, i am
inclined to think that the English ex-
preston right well" for very well
is not commonly used in America.
Americans say, Eyes, sir. and "no.
sir" with sense different from th.t
with which the words are use1 in Eli
gland but they mark the difference OF
sense by difference of mtonation.
Thus, if question is asked to which the
reply in England would be simply
Eyes" or "no" tor, according to the rank
or station of the qucrist. Eyes, SIR" or
"no, sir, y, the American reply would
I've "yes, sir" or "no, sir" intonated as
with us in England. But, if the reply
is intended to be emphatic, then the ill
~, @1a ,lo
sis on the word "sir the reply is
"yes, sir" or "no, SIR" In passing, ]
may note that have never heard all
American waiter reply "yessir," as our
English walters io.
The American use of the word
"quit is peculiar. They do not limit
the word, as We do, to the Specification
"take leave"-in fact, | have never
heard an American Use the word in that
sense. They generally use it as al
equivalent to "leave off" or "stop."
lin passing one may notice as rather
strange the circumstance that the word
"quit," which properly means "to go
away FROM" and the word "stop," which
means to STAY" should both have come
to he used as signifying to "leave off,
Thus Americans say "quit fooling" 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 I have some idea of
buying" etc. Ihave, indeed, heard tho
usage defended as perfectly correct,
though assuredly there is not an instance
n all the wide range of English litera-
ture which will justify it.
So, also, many Americans defend as
good English the use of the word
good" in such phrases as the follow
ing: II 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. or
course, there are instances in which AL
jectives are allowed by custom to lie
used as verbs, as, for instance, fright"
for rightly" etc., but there can be no
reason for substituting the adjective
good" in place of the adverb "well,
which is % short word, and at least
equally euphonious. The use of "real'
for "really, as "real angry" "rea'
nice, is, Of course, dramatically indie
fensible.
The use Of the word "elegant" for
"fne" strikes English ears as strange.
For instance, il you say to an American.
"This is fine morning" he is likely TO
reply, ut is an elegant morning." on,
perhaps oftener, by using simply the
word elegant" 1t is not a pleasing
use Of the word.