New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-07
THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE.

writer in C0rnhllF' has Deen ATTACKING
this subject with some amusing results. lie
has, apparently, travelled much in the United
States. At all events, he has read something
of our contemporary literature, especially OF
the Far Western school, knows something OF
our newspapers, and has acquired degree OF
familiarity with the many varieties of American
slang which is really remarkable in foreign
or, and which probably few Americans share
with him. Most Americans know some slang
the slang of their locality, of their profession
of their social environment-but few Of them
probably know, as this Englishman seems to
have succeeded in knowing the slang OF the
many sections, races and classes OF which this
heterogeneous people is made up. He has
gathered together the slang of the North and
the South the East and the West; the slang
of the dude and the cowboy, the masher
(which he seems not to know is London slang)
and the miner: the negro and the Spaniard,
the Yankee and the Irshman, the Bowery
tough and the New-YOrI1 schoolgirl; and he
has poured it all in rich flood upon the
startled head of John Bull leaving that re-
spectable but sow-witted individual gasplng
for breath.
The reader will infer that this writer, who
is anonymous, represents that the American
language, even when spoken by educated per-
sons. consists mostly of slang. He admits that
the language, in the clothes it stands mp In,
is can offshoot'' from the speech of Shake
speare and Milton, but further than this he
will not go. Yet it should not he supposed
that his criticisms are altogether sweeping and
without force. He recognizes the fact that
many words and expressions which English
men. ignorant of their own language, take to
be Americanisms, are really survivals of old
English. He is forced to admire the respect
we show to the letter II. He seems to under
stand that the presence of large and diverse
foreign elements necessarily results in the
legitimate admixture of words from other Ian
guages. and that when new civilization is
built up the language grows with it, He APP
preciates one thing which the average Eng
lishman does not seem able to comprehend
that the National characteristic Of humor, de-
veloped in the American people as never be-
fore in any other, tends to quaintness of ex-
preston, often mistaken for slang by the in
telligent foreigner, and also, it must be adj
| mitted, to the use of slang itself.
| The chief error of the writer, aside from
| exaggeration and few amusing plumbers OF
| detail, is the customary one OF the English
| traveller Whatever is is English; whatever
is not English does not exist. At home he has
his luggage labelled" When he hears them
| talk in America about checking baggage he
is infinitely amused This, he seems to think
is slang He ignores the fact that luggage is
Al. hic
phrase cannot be employed He forgets, too,
that the American expression is quite as good
English as the other When he hears an
| American talk Of a horse-car instead of tram,
CT the sidewalk instead of the pavement, he
gazes upon him with a benignant smile, as if
he were contemplating new variety of savage.
| Yet the American has in each case as he has
in many cases the better word. The English
man is shocked to find that store is used for
shop. saloon for bar-room, fall for autumn,
corn for maize, candy for what he calls sweet
meats, crackers for biscuits, railroads for rail
ways. 1t is not because he can demonstrate in
every instance that the English word is prefer
able. though he may be able to do so in some,
but because his insular conceit is wounded.
The English language, in precisely the form in
which he uses it, is sacred, not because it bears
some resemblance to the English of Shake
speare and Milton but because he speaks it.
There is too large basis of truth, however,
for this writer's rather good natured derisiOn of
the American language. We are not the sinners
we are made out to be, but there is too much
slang in the daily talk of many educated
| Americans. There is too much slang in the
newspapers often written by men who can
write pure English, and who, if they would
only use it, would find that it was quite as
simple as forcible and as popular as the hybrid
tongue they employ. Some of our humor-
Gus writer's have much to answer for in this
respect. Every man who knows what good
English is ought to resist both in his talk and
his writing this vulgar and cheapening ten
dency The English language is sufii-
cient instrument for any one of us; and while
it must grow to ITS environment, it need not
be trained into hideOus forms.