Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1882-11-22
A Study in Yankee Dialect

''But YOU and have heard and con-
ned and laughed over the provincia!ism
Ut the Georgia Cracker and the West
ern Hoosier,' and have for you some
at the expressions Of the 'Down-East
Yankee have recently been visiting
the mountains Of Maine and New
Hampshire, and while enjoy ing the
sights myself, collected some of the
sounds for you; they are in this book
and she handed me q small mcmoran.
dunn.
You can Ing that off with you"-luc
mind you. and not tote. As the South.
erner would say. nor tack, Is the
Western man.
"Why. hOU you tGlkr' I responded.
as my eyes fell on that quotation in the
little book.
Yes" laughingly she rcjoincd. .tha,
Is one exprcs,,on o4 -~-e-;ae, aud
rant 10 know is another, with there!
sure, and du tell! for wild EXPLANATIONS
Of wonder"
And then we drew our chairs near to-
gcther, like two school children. one
knowing the lesson and teaching it to
the other.
Il will post you first as to swearing"
she began 1.-The Southrrner " no does
not use big, big ID. says IN be dog
goaed. too long and lazy an expression
for the Yankee. He says sWdn q
swear) or swun,, or If he must use n
d. he says dam, as dunn fool, dunn ras-
cal. etc."
Where were you when you wrote
this boOk?'
please study its photography and
speak by it," she interrupted. Il Urh
what you have before you in Oxford
county, Me. l see people there on a
holiday from all over the country, a
marster large crowd. How the men did
srop bosses, watches. boots. and knives
on that day. 1t WAS an enjoyable occa-
sion. Two men ft, but neither were
much hurt. Two boys CHM tall far
(ti,, tree. that made me kinder marcus;
/ was s.,,ee,sd they would fall and &c,
scrnncAed. An Iyean encampment was
once Jest wllere we ct dinner.
That is very gocd, Clary Angasty,"
remarked her husband "Go on and
tell about Miss Hills husbands boss"
''Waal. l wish you could lave seen
that dnima(-he was such pooty co.,
ter (pretty crcature). l couldn't heir
begrntchin Mr.. Hill. for the dnimil was
not d-skeered of anything, not even the
kcrs. He was horse of great vals
(value). He was full of spcrret, but
Miss Hills Young-mn1 have rid i'm
often. He was as rouad as bcrrst.
md fine r0ader. Charles. be you
really gon-tcr buy him?" she asked of
her husband.
"Ef could git red of two now have
tho .tust house sot foot into would be
Hills"
what did you find to eat 80 far
Norh?" inquired.
Chickens, digs, butter, bris, Cher
ries) and cake (biscuit). The last Sun
day We sOds in Oxford We had billed
fowl for dinner and it var n,onstrous
nice. I think the water of them, folks
wells be the best ever drinked. Them
people is mighty clever. but awful curis.
Now there is Bill Haskill as has been
kcepin' company with Lily Jane Wig
gins nigh onto twelve years. and they
hdtnt married yit. There is Miss Stei.
lings, = Widder tconaam with sight o
money. but they say she sot 50 much
store by her husband Qoved him SO
much) that she wont let no man keep
company with her. Although the sun
was nsarster hot skeersely anybody had
nm6rils (umbrcllas). had lace
fringed parasol with me. but when RE
It see two or three steerim' at me 90
hard took it down. The dressing Of
some of the men was not stylish. Some
OF the cots (coats) fit gauning (uncouth).
A few men always SGT kerted up (crook-
ed) As IF they had the rwnsasix. "-Nep
Han.psh.rc Correspondence Of TIE Boston
Rbse.