The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-04-07
OUR ENGLISH COUSINS,
HOW THEY SPEAK THE LANGUAGE.

HOW THkY SPEAK THE LANGUAGE
7, DiT r.aeta iu the rsoaunciAtios- St,ls Sp,l
!. Ing SIM IL y0sut.-t,calisr NrXnins OF Sonis
}. D'slEns,tons-rtrhnicsi mu ,iiIons-- Tho
!. "G.ntismAL" and "L,d," In Easiaad.
sptelM Correspondence Of he Inieuigeactr,
0 LONDON, March 20-An interesting vol
+ ume could bo written for American read
era upon the way in which the L ,glial
people speak the English language. In
letter tho sutject can only be glanced at
Let Inc first record what have observed
a'ongth'S line that gives me pleasure. Nat
urally lave compared Fryligh habits o
. speech with those In vogue amongst our,
. selves, and candor compels me to say tha.
the.E lglish have not been the sufferers by
this comparison. There Is lesa slang used
here--indeed, in the conversation Of men
and women Of the respectable middle class
you hear scarcely any slang. ".
The great difference between the English
and American pronunciation OF words Ia
in the broader sound given by tho former
to the letter a. i observe, too, that many
words Of three syllabse, which correct
American speakels acceItI on tie second
syllable, are pronounced herewith ,tbe}ac-
cent on the etifst-coneummste aud demon-
atrate Tor instance, the American pro.
nunciation being tho right one iu both
cases. SO, ... '--lf- ~
| TIE FEELING.
They still spell wagon over here with
two gs and trays!er with two IL, and they
still jealously retain the u in such words as
color, honor, candor, etc. Some4words are
given an arbitrary pronunciation without
regard to rhyme or reason. Lieutanant,is
always pronounced ri, Il .euaut,n and, when
they hear our Version Of it they scai cely
know what ia meant. Ia many words,
ugaln, the 9 is given the sane sound
az a. This, | suppose, il borrowed
from the French, bu. it sounds
extremely odd to American ears. Derby ia
always Darby, aud cieik, clark. Aud
speaking Of, clerks, l au r.middfd that
this term is used 10 designate a-dilTerent
clas, OF persons from thotc to whom it ia
applied amongst Us. 1t is the gene raI name
gwen to all grades oil book.keepela Dry
goods clerks, drug clerk, and tho like are
unknown here, HI are also "salestnenn and
'salesladiea," !" the person answering 10 these
being called assistants" What we $csll
"stores''.'. are here known IS shops" "a
saloon Is called "public house." or pub.
lic," Tor short. A dry goods merchant is a
draper" and what We would cil motion
store" is called "habertasher's es.sb.
llshment." Canned" fruit Is always
"tinned' fruit, and she who goes 10. The
provision shop to get it for yo,lls not.,your
"hred girl' but your ..seIvant."' People
are "sick" here only when they have an at
tack OF nause.; when indispt s,d in any
ether way, they are ill" rhe doctor who
attends them is of,ener called "medical
man" than anything elsp, and the iudi-
vidual who fills their prescriptions Is never
spoken Of az druggist" but al~ays 3, a
chemist" When the English speak OF
man as being "clevef" they mean that he
is q man OF talent and ability. We mean
by the word that the man is amable.
ADIrFgREST MEANING.
f:eIts4anstssteo Country,
to call aIady "homely,,Ss sbn, ssthss worlds
used here it would Emean: that tie speraoon
was neat and tidy, possessing fhome-like
quslitits s. What we call a::.:'pitcher,.Ht: is
here known as a '"jug," 1.-THE former word
being used to designate in a general way
any article Of earthenwars. The "bureau,"
which FORMS 80 useful part Of our bed
room seie, is .ere the "chest OF drswers.n
The "aidewalk'' is the "lootpa,h," the
'hack" ia '.cab," and the street cars are
usually called trans" However dilligent
a correspondent you may he; you must
never mail" ai'letter 10 Eug'and; you
must always'post" il, and, in like msnner,
the official who brings your mail is the
'postman," and not tine letter.ca,rier."
"School!teachers" nrs always "sGhool-mas-
ters" or OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES" and il you
were toapea)c' {ot thes school: house people
would think at once. that you ,re'erreil TO
ths sschool.m residence. Insurance
Companies are Assurance Com paniss,
which, considering that assurance Is often
onlys' aDotlIer name for cheek, C qpslily
which constitutes the principal stock OF 80
many o!-the 'ag sn!s Of such companies, is
not a batl narnt; aud il the printer has
italicised the irst syllab'eas it WAS marked
in the manuscript the r. II Ter sill get from
this name another Suggestion, which, may
not be- apt 10 remind him what people
over here, who hsva trusted in some OF
these companies, and been du'rad by them,
feel like calling themselves. Butthis is'an
Unpleasant subj 4ct, and t., get away frDm
it rs quickly as possible We will start ,on a
journey together. i { Ss H,.
| A ROSES BY. OTHER NAMES. 80.
To DO this we must 10 to tho station"
not the sdepot" - Let us be:saie, FOO, that
We take cur "bags" and boxes nSwith'ts,
for these arc the things which answerh, 70
to the American val;s.s and trunks. We
shall not take '',he' cau;" We shall takc
",he train-sll the cars here are Carriages"
except the one containing Tho baggage,
ami that is the 'baggaye van" A freight
train is called goods trair;" the track ia
the Cline" and the switches are points"
The station sgent ID always the station
"master." Bsfore getting aboad We must
| pCok, tnht III Duy ulI kNk.ls, anu aa Il
matFkets faaf shall not ss:go,a aboard 4 Mt
tall, but shall he rsques,ed'h by the ''guardn
(conductor) 10 Stake our seats !" The en-
gineer is the "driver," and the fireman the
"stoker."'' Let Us remember, moreover,
that wo are making a journey by
railway, not by railroad. And now having
equipped them with the proper English
pt1ases, Twill leave your. rpatarH fo. make
the journey prorey in their imaginasions
They will be all right, no doubt, Until
they'nesEtheir destination and pull up At