Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-12-18


tea" in the spring "to thin the blood
and keep off biles," ! have swallow
ed many quart of it for this express
purpose. How far it really "thinned
the blood" l do not know, but this /
do know, that 1 had my share of
"biles," which rascally pests did me
just as they do the boys nowadays,
and managed always to come on the
"worstest place." They seem to be
"built that way" But does not this
history of the word clothe our COM
mon "sassafras" with new and fresh
interest?
The next word is "Bigot"-a hard,
narrow-minded, self-opinionatedindi-
vidual, with no tolerance for others
who differ in opinion or belief. This
word should be of special interest to
every beau who sports "a love of a
mustache," to every boy who wearies
the glass examining those cat hairs
which come with such provoking
slowth on his upper lip, and to every
lassie who slyly steals an admiring
glance at this token of manhood, and
with fiuttering heart scarce whispers
to herself, so my! his mustache isso
becoming" Now what on earth has
this word "bigot," so suggestive of
all that is unlovable, to do with a
mustache? 1t has great deal to do
with it. We are indebted to the mus
tache for the word.
1t may be well enough to statethat
the source whence this word came
has been matter of dispute among
scholars, some deriving it from the
Latin word "6eguttB," the name of
certain societies of religious women
in the middle ages: others tracing it
to the irreverent oath so universal
among the early Normans, but Meth
er of these views stood the test of
critical examination, and it will be
evident, it comes from "6igote," the
Spanish word for mustache.
In the fifteenth century, the Span
iards began to make that profound
impression upon the other nations of
Europe which rivited their gaze for
so long time. They were naughty,
imperiOus, adventurous and warlike.
Whilst with neighboring nations, the
upper lip was usually smooth, the
Spaniard wore an immense mus
tache, which to him was the symbol
of soldierly courage and pride no less
than of personal ornament. He was
too, devoted catholic, and destin-
guished for the zeal andimplacable ha-
tired with which he carried into exc
cution the bloody orders of the Rom
ish See in the religiouspersecutions of
all others whodid not hold that faith.
This fact deeply impressed Protestant
Europe, and it is noteworthy that in
the older illustrated English editions
of Fox's "book of martyrs" even
the heather prosecutors of the early
christians are pictured as with the
armour and huge mustache of the
Spaniard. When our forefathers were
looking for word to give full eX-
preston to their horror and detes-
tation of religious intolerance, they
found itin thisSpanish word "6igOte,"
for to them the mustached Spaniard
was the embodiment of its most hate
full form. Now for fear this associa-
ton of the "mustache" with the re.
pulsiveness of the "bigot" may be
painful to any young gentleman who
dotes on his own, l add, that al.
though those prosecutions have ceas-
ed, yet the mustache is still so much
admired in Spain, especially by the
ladies, that it is a common saying
among the girls of AndalYsia, "a
kiss without mustache is like meat
without salt"-and so in kindest
feeling, ta-ta, sweet mustache, ta-ta
Other illustrations might easily be
given, for our language is full of such
words. These, however, mustsuffice
as this article is already too long. In
conclusion l beg my young friends Of
both sexes to study words. If fol
want of books, or of time, or, as ]
hope is not true, for want of inclina.
ton, you cannots search into the histO.
ry and hidden beauty and charm OF
words, you can at least study the
dictionary.
Many men and women Of fine in
tellect have never passed for hal
their real mental worth, simply fO
the lack of words. Avoid the merit
fication and pain they suffer by study
ing words, and making their mean
ings all your own. 1t will pay you