The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-09-29

The enormous increase of slang of
late years, and the conspicuous part it
plays in the conversation of young men
and women who can lay claim to the
best birth and education, marks the alb
senc9 OF some Of the instincts which go
to produce brilliant sseiety. Slang is
simply slipping ones thoughts into the
cheapest and most slip-shod ready-made
clothing, and instead of being an evil
dence of wit or originality, as is some
times 1gnorantly supposed, it is only an
indication OF Iaziness or limited COM
mand of language. There is nothing
that more entirely robs CONVERSATION of
all freshness and originality than free
indulgence in slang. There is no room
for any individuality of expression, for
any effort at appropriateness of epithet
or business Of opinion; but an idea
which might be expressed in, fifty diff
ferent ways, by different people, Is ste
reotyped into some meaningless slang
formula and becomes common property.
It is certainly within the limits of mod
Grafton to say that ninety girls out of
every hundred would describe every
variety Of social pleasure or amusement
by declaring that they had had good
time" or "lovely time, " or "beauti-
full Tine" lawfully nice" and lawfully
jolly" are sufficiently indefinite to quail
ify almost any noun in the dictionary,
and are a conveniently vague way OF
conveying ones impressions without
REQUIRING that the impressions shall
be closely defined on analysed, and
they dispense with ths Troublesome
necessity of fitting the words to the
thought which becomes unavoidable ii
one is obliged to find ones self in ex-
pfessl0hs, Slang phrases constantly
present themselves ns the easiest and
most obvious thing to say about peo-
pie, or places, or books, or sensations,
when it would involve some mental
effort to describe them more accurately.
And then such indefinite judgments do
hot compromise ones powers of dis
elimination and cannot be east up as
an intellectual fspr8ach by people of
more penetrating fac1tities and incon-
Fenient memories. This sloven1y, con-
ventionally WHY Of expressing ones
ideas has more positive III results than
merely suppressing freshness and
naivette of style. 1t exterminates ali
dignity and refinement of thought and
speech, and ffakes woman not only
commonplace, but c0mtpep. It makes
girls mind seem place open to all
comers-a court without a sanctuary.
This accessibility and "hail-fellow-well-
met" air goes far to destroy the dis
tinct, definite g harm of woman's con-
versation. It is not Necessary that peo-
pie who speak good English should be
elaborate, or stiff, or pedantic The
very best and most vigorous En-
glish is made up ST short, sim
pie words, and idiomatic, Natural ex
pressions, and is as far removed from
Journalism or affectation as slang itself.
The charm of a clever, fascinating
woman's conversation, like the charm of
some Of the most beautiful poetry, often
lies more in the manner than In the
matter A free, facile, graceful use of
language was one of the most conspicu-
Gus accomplishments Of those charming,
elegant women who moulded modern
society in their salons and made con-
versation fine art.
Bit woman who wishes to acquire
that permanent charm of conversation
which clever, cultivated woman may
SO abundantly possess, should carefully
avoid slang words and phrases. Slang,
it is true, may not seem to interfere
with her immediate success. Her part
nef in the eotil1ion may not mind it, nor
the man with whom she plays tennis
and dances at Newport, nor the man
who takes her out for moonlight row
at Mount Deseret, as there are men who
profess to like girl with plenty of ego"
and dash and vivacity;" but the effect
is not the less deteriorating on society
in general Youth and prettiness gain
federation for little coarseness and
want of dignity, but when the youth
and prettiness go the eoarsencss and
dignity remain, unmodifed and unjusti-
fied.-The american.