Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-10-11


every race course.
Circus men use slang very freely,
their lives being so much in public
taat but for it they would find it diff
Guilty IN communicating with each
other without making their affairs
known to the crowds of the curious
who hang about their heels in seniIe
admiration. Being nomadic in their
habits it is not strange that most of
their cant terms are derived from the
gypsies. With tbe knights of the arena
food is peek" aud drink is "lush. "
The manager Of the show is its main
guy" and its patrons are "iays.p or
'Gllles." To weed" means to
talk, and no is "nixey.n The
writer once attended a circus with
gentleman who had read
much about slang but had
never heard it used, though he was
anxious to have the experience. Walk.
ing over TO where a number of canvas
men we're talking, and after listening
a moment begCn to explain the con-
versation.
One of the takers observing this
said to his companion. "Nixey weeden
eulls; the guy stags." Nv friend was
much mystifed when told that the
expression meant Don't talk; the guy
understands" The experience Of a
countryman who fell:into the clutches
OF couple fakirs was not pleasant
one. In describing it he said. IAN
three of US were walking togther.
when one Of them said. Lets elem
his nibs. The tother one said:
"Swipes, Gull. Aud then both of
them hit me at onct." Circus BOYS are
not over delicately handled during
their apprenticeship, and their discip.
line is known as "clemming." There
is one bit of circus slang that it would
be well for all my readers to remem-
Der, and that is, "Hey, Rube.p 1t is
the rallyiDg war-cry from every en-
ploye Of the show, and when it is
shouted it means business" from the |
word go" Negro minstrels and |
variety performers are proficient in
slang-in fact, they are responsible for
two. thirds Of It'll daily use. With
them poor performer is "suinde,
probably from the German "Scheider,
tailor, who everybody knows is but |
tenth part of man. They also speak
of a poor artist (there are no actors in |
those professions) as being very |
piano" and if he is unusually bad he |
is tart" or very ''kittesh." Bad |
song and dance men are "hams," and |
a large percentage Of the feminines in |
the business are serious chronies" |
chair r-warmers." Among the theat- |
rical profession slang is also much |
used.
To" flake through a part" is to play
it without proper study or care, while
to wing it" is to cemmit its lines to
memory while standing in the stage
entrances away from the sight of the
audience. A poor actor is stick
and there are ten thousand Of them in
the business. A bad play is 'quisby,p
and "Fogg's Ferry" and "Ouly a
Farmers Daughter" take the
bakery" If the truth was told Of half
the plays presented to the attention of
the public nowadays, "quisby" would
be printed about five times a week in
every first-class paper in the land.
When salaries are paid "the ghost
walks, and though but a small num-
Der Of actors are spiritualists, the
apparition is always warmly welcomed.
In managerial slang, "papering houses
means issuing great number of free
passes, and Sam Colville and Jack
Haverly are just darlings at it when
business is dull on an opening night.
By the way, dead heads are the
most captious critics that ever looked
on play with the fiery eyes of cYnics.
When person uses slang for some
time it is almost matter of impossi-
bility for him to break himself Of the
habit An amusing instance of this
occurred some time ago, when min
strel performer was watching at the
bedside of a dying friend. Observing
the immediate signs of dissolution, he
broke out with Stag the agles, culls,
his nibs is going to sherry" meaning
Look at his eyes, boys; he is about to
die" The slang of the street is in
almost everybody's mouth, | regret to
say. How often have | heard the lips
of beauty emphasize some expression
that pleased them with you bet!'
How many an innocent darling has
announced That's the kind Of a hair.
pin am" Her brother knows plenty
of fellows who are N. g., and thinks
nothing Of telling his friends to drop"
or take a tumble to themselves
when they attempt to impose on his
credulity.
Ga@GSSiiers speak knowingly Of
brace" games and of "eappers,"
whose business it is to rope in"
sucker" to play against their games
When man is in hard luck he is said
to be playing both ends against the
middle" or both ways to the pud-
ding, and when he dies he "passes in
his chips" Newsboys and bootblacks
are fond Of slang, and are game to
the latest" The other day pair Of
them were discussing the merits OF an
acquaintance while standing near the
postoffice. Said one: Cuts Higgins
was beat out Of er quarter matching
pennies with Skinny Nick. Skinny
had cent with two heads onto it, and
| Cuts was the rankest sucker yer ever
saw. He wouldn't drop on hisself IL
a house was to fall onto him. Cuts
must be a tough citizen indeed, "
/, A book, and a good sized book.
could be written on the slang Of the
present day but we have given enough
OF it to show how general is its use.
1t is not polite to use it, though, and
nothing so gives a man away" as ha
! bitual indulgence in it.
Not single organ or orator Of the
Z bolt has ever dared to claim that