New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-17
AMERICAN ENGLISH.
WITH SOME COMMENTS on AN ENGLISH
MANS ENGLISH.

= n.
Mr.. George Augustus Sala has iateiy been dis
.cor,siur IN his entertaining way on the American
use OF English His discourse Is addressed to MI
ci,ho,. N Thicker. Who il seems. read paper on
s,..on English before the Albany Institute.
This was printed and came into the hands OF Mr.
lo Who proceeds 10 pull the author of it to pieces,
and to explain to that large ADglo-American public
for which he writes tsat Nh. Tucker Is an ignorant
person / am net concerned TO defend the Al
bantam OF whom am sorry TO say know nothing
Int NAV point out that of Mr. Salas criti-
cisn,s on what he believes to be American mistakes
are of doubtful authority He rebukes Mr.. Tucker
for talking quite unconsciOuslyn of railroads
TELEGRAPH lines mail-routes and printing presses
The English language. says Mr. Sala IN his lottest
tone. knows no such term as mail-routc.' Yet on
turning to the Imperial Dictionary, which Is the
latest and fullest of English dictionaries the SUR
priscd student Of Sala English viii find mail
route explained as a route by which the mails are
conveyed. Mr.. Annandale, the learned editor OF
this dictionary, inserts many words and SignIhca-
tons which he describes as American but mail
route Is left to stand on its merits English pure
aud simple The very next word, mail-stage' is
branded as from the United States
Mr. Tucker saws that in London ladys outer
garment a dozen years ago universally eaileu
dress afterward gown, and is now called IrocN'
the words dress aud gown being accounted aiAe
vulgar nj present This, cries Mr. Sala, IS wrong
and rid;culously wrong, from beginning 10 emu nc
insists that the word gown was IN use very Ione
,ic before dress came into fashion, and thai there
3; ,,od reason why dress should be substituted lot
,,oyvu seeing that gown is garment consisting OF
Vie niece and dress is in two pleces, Doty anu
petticoat. That gown was not, Us MI. lucher
think, discarded on account OF ITS vnlGariN' ~
shown IN Mr. Salas opinion, By the circumstance
that at present Duchess may wear tea-soWn'
which is q garment IN one niece As 10 t1'S u"
not quite follow Mr.. Sala- He seems TO IMPLY 1n"V
Htea-gownr cannot be vulgar because II - "o'i'
and the word used, by Duchess. BIT there ave
EXAMINES on record to prove that valgTity Is a
thing not totally inconsistent with the exalted rank
of Ducl,ess Nobody wouid recognize the tact more
frankly than the Duchess's friends. AS Tor 1roch'
continues Mr.. Sala, TO say that the WORD Is NJ" ="
fashionable use is simply preposterous ana he
winds ND with a warning to the foreigner ag'ihs'
Alternating to expound or understand awning 80
a. cricvously complex as "Euglish English Is ID IT,
colloqual form" ....
CouIpex if certainly is, and one proof OF IT'S com
1t, nav Inc found in the fact that Mr. Sala him
sci, mas zone astray in the labyrinth to which ne
l.lie,e. he has the clew OF course l don't venture
70 saw So on the strength of any opinion ot ms own.
like Mr. Tucker. am foreigner ana though
live in London and hear from DAY 10 DAY hlucH
English IN its colloqnial form, should shrink from
onv a+tempt to set up my own iuiglnent against
Mr.. Sala's At the same time couic not nul thihN
I had heard words used which Mr.. Sea says are uo'
nsod and I therefore sought for information III
quarters where thought the best information noS'
likely TO be got. Ii Mr.. Saia cares to know my
onthoritcs. ne shall have the names privately All
can toIl aa hare is that the ladies whose opinions
am p,.ag 10 quote are entitled to he called
authorities IN any matter OF fashion OF iashohao'e
usage.
They - saw Mr. Sala is wrong. They do not
recognize the distinction he seeks to establish ne
tween dress and gown. If there be distinct on ID
snofh,ne 20 DO with the fact that the garment IN
question j. IN one piece OF two. B'th "oi"H are
attn m eoumou nse: gown more commonly thm
dress ,rlaps Dress. said ono lady, often sign h''
NOR. han gown You speak OF adyS ole>7'
meaning evervtliing She has on. ~ wen q" WV
aressn.akcr's" continued ,ho, might Gay "'h'e'l
. ne,, dress or wanted new gown. IN eHh'r ''S'
sbofild mean aud she would dn'ier~,ah" the '''
NO, nj wanted "a walking dress should prob
ably call IL q COSTUME. ! night ask h'i 10 SNOW
me something for an evening gown o. pa.I ni
ar vie versa-nerhaps ball gown for choI'''
U-be,ber they were e. hc maze u oue OF tVo p ''.'
vr.pid NOT matter n IN two pieces. the ioN'.
,vould NOT be called pertc1at n Mr. ~a' 'hFN' '''
skirt Pstt.coat IS not used f'r SIS DIE -"'.'' D..
cveep. whore t,.c bojr is male lo.- .' iAe '.'
and ,rf away in front below OBJ" waist thrn ,'
tbep,tticoat that shows hencath t.'' s..i "
part Of the dress 80.
81. H." a,xed. prepo-torous to say tha' ''
word florh H. now in fashionable USE
.y.n viii hesrr every day of vo0r ic anon
.vla4 ARE called Ga. smartcst people "is ih' 'H
go. Nothina IS more comnoL a iadt 81. l'
her fr,ood .he r. going to order n'~ ir'rb i't ti
next drtr ing ROOM. and ifocA Tor iHc "idN .N-
r.om \. OF coarse the most elaborate 80" y'' '
,,ad.-fl1in and au the rest OF f. bn' " .''
Ir. b
vonld be- less likely to use troch 90 'e' -l
-. r,- , short l.un. because irucs after a.i D.
fashionable slang But - ihsh'' 'i'' '"'
o-.rr.i.r r.c bv & -l.onable people. 10 IS n'i-''
80. t,. ethei dress. gown or trock L. vulgar.
A. -.t, therefore win have the satt. t,.l'h
t.r..,.. tlat slIc hc j. wrong m has foiir'' '' '
Mr T.rl.r SIR Tucker IS also wioh- Old "".
,.,,.f I may add that twenty wears ago ~ %.
,.,,..r,- serves me-. sjrcss "a the sense "i A'
vronla have been likely % stamp ti' p '''" '''
ia, Al eriran ~ ST. bscquent currency may ''
49,. trs.eA to The Invasion 81 ENGLISH SOCIETY," To-
-, isd,cs "a many Americans have ma'f'.
i,t, Ill dish fainilics. many 81 te-e eo"-'"' '
= f',a sea are beautiful accoull -hrl.
.h.t ti .- have had au influence on En2.'-n ''.
- ..,y lac traced elsewhere Than lh p'fl' '
.,..h 10 prevent misconcsptioh az" ''i
.b..tI. ladies whom quote are not Ani
go bagr gwen part If ibis te'iim 'nl d"
f-,,. .lr mouth OF oue lady. but tho.e b. "' az
,,r,....nt among them al on all ihr '''s N'''
t,neh.l a. wpuii be- cay 60 ct' ''n
aries hst 1 do not, because The arl ~ w. ''
,sotl ...tom of TIE day and of the tasi"''''
,5 d,ctonary I. not of itself an authority
-. eybleuce and the evidence OF Use ocuoH
-. g. ss far ~ IL goes. rather aEi.nst ih'h i'
elr -si.'s contention
- Al. saia cared 90 devote much 81 h'' i'a' 2
-..- al American Engiish and English l.h-
49,. latter phrisc ls his uot mlun. hc ""u.