Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-07-17
WORDS.
DiTerence between English and
American Speech.
How the British Use n Certain Sort or Cir
cumiocution to Indicate Thiogs
which In This Country Are
Named Directly.
wv. A. Crofut. In Chicago current.I

| Nv. n. Crohut, In Chicago Current1
Tho English have no compreh nsivs word
meaning what our "dry goods means,
and they need one.
For ''calico" they use the vague and am
biguous word "prnt"
For "mirror" they always say 'glass''
(-laws). though, as there are n hundred
iiir rent kinds OF glass, mirror is n word
they sorely need.
For "loafer" the English always say
eth r"vagrant, ""vagabond," >" or dandy -
and n loafer is generally neither. En-
gland has thousands Of loafors, but not one
word 10 describe them.
Tho English never speak Of tho "waist''
OF n lady's "drcss," bat Of the body" OF
her ''gown," which Is certainly peither
moro correct nor more elegant.
For bureau" they say "chest OF draw
ers," which is employing cireumlocuiion
in place Of n name.
For ''candy" they always sny Sweets
which Is a similar subterfuge, using one OF
the qualities Of tho article to describe the
whole thing itself "Candy" is not only q
needfuI wcrl, but also (which is Of far
Less cons ,quence) IL Is otymolosically ac-
curate, finding its root In French, Italian,
Arabic, Persian, and SanscriG
For "bench" tho English say "rorm.H "
Each is equally gool. IL is matter oi
taste.
For "pantaloons" they always say
trousers" which Is, perhaps, prcfcratl,
because shorter; but both words had bet.
ter be retained.
For bakery" 'Tumber, and "hard-
war" they have no equivalent word,
whatever, and have to resort 10 phrase,
and sentences to Indicate VIII at they mean
For "perfumery" tho English say
scent" and insist that the long word is
/ preferred by Americans because they ar,
pedantic. But this charge OF a preference
for big words Is scarcely borne out by tn,
habit % Americans In saying "help" in.
stead OF servants" 'boss" ins cad oil
"omployer," "shop" instead OF "manu.
factory" guess" instead o. "conte ure, ,
sparse" instead of "thinly populated, ,
and, above all, Elk" instead of the Latir
word repair" or "rcnovate."
The Revolutionary War is far of, anC
travel has much mixed US up, and youne
mon Of culture In this country seem e
think IL m ritorious TO. unlcarn the yer.
nacular and substitute En- dish words. Il
seems to me to be mtre flunkyism without
any redeorning grace.
In L application OF words 10 moderr
inventions Americans havs shown them.
selves superior TO the English. When tn,
Grst railroad was built the English applied
| to its parts, as far as possible the word
already ia use I'm stage coaching: VIII
| Americans adopted OF invented new 3 4
o! words for the new things. For railroad
tho English say "ralway;" for dep It
's.atiOn;" for track, "line;" for locomo.
! tive, engine (Which is only part OF u lo-
comotivO); for eng neer, "drivet;" fol
car, "coach;r for conductor, "guor,l:" fO1
| baggage, "lugEagcs" for buying a ticket
which is exactly whet il is, 'bloking,'
which is exactly whist it isn't; FOR switch
"shunt," merely vulgar contraction oi
"shun it,"
In America letters 20 by mail; In En-.
| gland they go by post"--a verbal surviva
from that early day whom letters wer,
locked in n hole in wooden post by on,
messenger, arSi taken out and Lorne on
ward by another. Both words are correcti
the choice, matter of taste.
The word "guess" Is used ten times n.
much hers as in EnglanL IL is n good
Siuh = AOAcSt Noiuf uuu suuuiu no1 Dt
stunned English people substitute for il
the long word conjecture" or the flippant
word fancy" which is the cheap con
traction of Greek original, and in no way
preferable.
So Is "nottfy" legitimate word. Th,
word advise Is always used instead oI
II In England, but such use is ambiguo
by construction, for the word has aaother
and much moro important meaning.