The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-01-22
A Study in Yankee Dialect.

YOU anu nave nGaEu anu cpH-
ned and laughed over the provincialism
of the Georgia Cracker and the West
ern Hoosier.' and | have for YOU some
of the expressions of the 'Down-East
Yankee [ have recently been visiting
the mountains of Milne and New
HAMPSHIRE, and while ENJOYING the
sights myself. collected some of the
sounds for you; they are in this book
and she handed me q small memoran-
DUN.
You can lng that off with you Ing.
mind YOU. and not tote, as the South
erner would say, nor tack, la the
Western man.
..Why. Aozp goa tater' l responded,
As my eyes fell on that quotation In the
little book.
Yes iaughingly she rejoined. ''that
is one expression OF surprise, and
aUdft 10 kl10U is another, with there
sure. and e5u tett for wild EXPLANATIONS
of WONDER
And then we drew our chairs near to-
gether, like two school children, one
knowing the lesson and teaching it to
the other.
Il viii post you first as to swearing,
she began. 1.-The Southerner who does
not use big. big ID. says tn be dog
q01aed, too long and lazy an expression
for the Yankee. He says I S2eaB Il
swear) or 1 S1c2t7n, or ii he must use a
ID, he SAYS datan, as duns fool, dun ras-
cal etc.
Where Were you when you wrote
this book?''
please study its photography and
speak by it, she interrupted I aCTtt
what you have before you in Oxford
county, Me. / see people there on
holiday from all over the country,
4,sdrster large crowd. How the men did
sacop bosses. watches, boots. and knives
on that day. 1t was an enjoyable occa-
sion. Two men fit, but neither We're
much hurt Two boys clam tall far
(fir) tree, that made me kinder marcus;
/ was Skeered they would fall and get
scrunched. An Irajean encampment was
once Jest where we cd dinner.
THAT is very good, C1agg Aatqusty."
remarked her husband. $50 on and
tell about Miss Hills husbands boss. =
''Waal. / wish You could have seen
that ani4ndi-he was such a p0oty COO
ter (pretty creature). / couldn't help
beqrutclia1 Mr.. Hill. for the a9ainan was
not a-skeered of anything, not even the
kcrs He was a horse OF great Uattg
(yalue). He was full of spe1ret, but
hiss Hills Io7t4g-atas have rid an
often. He was as round as berrtl,
and fine r0nder. Charles, be goa
really gon-ter buy him?' she asked OF
her husband
..Ef could git red of two now have
the fist house sot foot into would be
Hills"
.fWhat did you find to eat SO far
North?'' / inquired.
Chickens, diqS. butter, brtS,. Cher
ries) and cake (biscuit). The last Sun
dav we soas in Oxford we had baled
fowl for dinner and it 20nr 7n09sstqoaks
nice. I think the water of them folks
wells be the best / ever drinked. Them
people is mighty clever, butawful CARTS.
Now there is Bill Haskill as has been
keepim company with Lazg4a Jnase w lg-
gins nigh onto twelve years, and they
ha5nt married yit. There 10 MISS aStel-
lings, a0iddIer aDornG'a with q sight O
money, but they sag she sol so mach
store br her husband (loyed him so
much9 that she wont let no man Keep
company with her. Although the sun
was 11,drster hot skeerselg anybody had
un.brsLs (umbrellas). had lace
frinoed parasol with me- but when T-s2
it / see two or three steersn' at me so
hard / took it down. The dressing OF
some of the men was not stylish. Some
of the cots (coats) fit gaming (uncouth).
A few men always sot kerted APP (crook-
ed) as eff they had the ratflaataz. '-AeaC
Hanpsktre Correspondence OF the Boston
Post.