The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1883-08-19
What Skilled Tradesmen Call Infe-

what Skilled Tradesmen Call Iufe-
T;o- Hands.
Strikes bring out the technical
slang Of the trades, and particu-
larly the opprobrious epithets with
which the different classes of
workmou distinguish the unssilled
operatives who labor at the same
trades. In most cases it viii be
found that these slang terms orig
mate IN some tcchnicality of the
trade. Tnus the teleg5aphers
cali a poor operator a plug" af-
ter the l;t,le metal implement
whieh divides the switches oa the
keyboard. iuasmurh as the plug,
/ or key" IS 81 comparatively an
important part ol ;h" machinery.
. Printers designate an urskiiled
/ tvre setter sshoemakaF" or
"blacksmi,h.~ IN, derivation Of
the former appeIla,'oni is from the
fact Jhss the composijor who
makes errors IS obliged TO correct
them alter the type is set mp by
taking ont tie misplaced letters
and "pcgging" thc proper ones in
/ their places. Tailors also use the
word shoemaker" 20 distinguish
a poor hanl, As au unsiiliei work
man TAKES bis stitches TOO far
apart, ana IS therefore better
aIap.cl 20 sew leather, where he
car punch holes with al awl be
fore putting his needle through.
Interpretation ',blacksmith' is ap-
piled ,o printer whose fingers
are clumsy, and a jcwcler also
| terms an unsl,illed worker at his
trade blacksmith" for the same
reason. 4 term OF opprobrium,
which was used By old New York
printers to designate an unsllil!ed
! -ampositor, was the word "board
| er." from tic fact ;hat a poor hand
was generally Il drinking man, and
spent his time loaiing CDR "haard-
ing" in liquor saloons. Al. s,rik-
ling t.adcs-woraers In common use
the generic word "scab" to dis.
tiuruish worllmen who take the
place o. strikers. The derivation
Is obviously from the fact that th,
scab is a morbid growth, and live.
only q, the expense OF the vel
being os the rest cf the body
, Compos,ors call q scab ''rat," il
contomptuous allusion to the 70
dents who infcst printing Offices
The telegraphers have only re
Gently invented 4 term for seal
operators. They call them "con
tumists," j." though the application i
not OF technical derivation, but i
probably an attempt TO manuiac
tarc q word from the Latin con
tumac, tie root OF contumacious
, 10 describe q stubborn and obsti
nate person.
The various names actors giyD
. to the unsl.iiled members of thei
q profession arc familiar to most O
the reading world. \ poor acio
Is termed yariously "a stick - ''la
kir," statue" or dummy" :
I. stick" or Statue" Is, uaturall
enough, an actor ,sho is a0.,vart
and siilT on the STAGE. The tern
"5gmny" Is derived from the fac
tina; when q travelling compan
has not enough members in th
troupe To ii.i mp a large stage, mc
and women are employed 60 stan,
in the back with choruses or su
pernumo'ar;os and take no othe
. par,. They are called dummies.
''Fakir" is generic form, an
comprises those actors who lac
talent and depend upon other re
sources. For instance, a comed!a
who makes faces Is called a 'muq
GER and a tragcdian who below
is "ranter,o aud both are II,
kiss." The professors Of The man
ly art are also apt in this style {
), nomenclature. They call "a COW
ardiy fighter "iulTer," and
weak o. uns}alled boxer a "san
). bag" OF "stalT," the latter term
being derived from the contr