The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-08-03
Verbal Etiquette.

There is Il distinction between certain
phrases, according to circumstances,
which, when misused, become vulgar
isms. We give few, taken from a
London Journal;
The terms "ladies" and gentlemen n
become in themselves yulgallSms when
misapphcd, and the improper application
of the wrong term at the wrong time
makes all the difference in the world to
cars polite; thus, calling man ''gen-
| man" when he should be called man,
or the speaking of n man as u man when
| he should be called gentleman; or the
alluding to n lady Ms woman when she
should he alluded to Ms a lady; on the
speaking of woman as q lady when she
should he properly termed a woman.
Tact aud sense of the fitness oi
things decide these points, there beng
no fixed rule TO so upon to determine
when n man IL n man or when he is n
gentleman. and though he is lar oftcner
termed the one than the other, he does
not thereby lose his attributes Of a gen
tleman. In common parlance, man Is
always II man to u man, and never gen
tlrman: to woman he Is occasionally n
man and occasionally " n gentleman; but
man would far oltcner term II woman q
woman than he would term her lady.
When man makes Use of an adjective
III speaking Of lady he almost invariably
calls woman, the term young lady gives
places as far as possible to the term girl,
although it greatly depends upon the
amount OF intimacy existing as to winch
term is employed Now, to turn to the
really tabooed words, stylish and
"gentecl" are rclegated to the show
room, where they are very much used
at home in each others company, al
though considered decidedly vulgar
when met with elsewhere. stylish
being bred in the showroom is the right
word in the right place; but it Is hard
upon unfortunate "gonteel, that. con
veying in itself SO much it should have
met with such fate. Nice bids fair
to follow in the footsteps OF discarded
words; standing alone as an adjective,
though passc, it still has its admirers,
but when to nice is added either Jaw
fully" or "too,' then nice is altogether
out Of fnvor.
Jolly is well enough OH the lips OF
schoolboy, to whom it now oI right be-
longs right which no one disputes;
but slang proper is aud never can he
anything else than vulgar, and those
who delight in its Use for the embellisl.
ment Of their speech to all ntentS and
purposes intend to be vulgar
The word ''fellow," however much IN
use it may he between men, sounds very
objectionable from the lips OF women;
and some women are given to the foolish
conceit OF speaking Of every man they
may happen to know as dear fellow,
a Charming fellow" Handsome fel.
low," "clever fellow"
Beau" and "belle" are terms now nc
longer in Use; and for beau no equivalent
has as yet been discovered. although the
"beauty" has replaced the "belle."
Ont of the nursery it is not customary
for children to style their parents other
than by the good old-fashioned reveren.
tinl names of father and mother. y
"Papa' and ''mamma" are now nursery
names only. but 'pa" and ina those
unpleasant Authorizations arenow happily
quite out Of date.
The courteous thank you has in q
measure replaced the mcourteous
'thanks," and it is no longer considered
very fine to make this curt curtailment.