Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-01-04
THE ERA OF SLANG.
Expressions Which Send the Greens On |
the furist'S Back

the furtst'S Back.
The era of slang is upon us with a
breadth that is almost appalling. Not
only the slang that might be defined
as the burlesque or colloquial form of
expression, the language of low humor,
or the jargon of thieves and Migrants.
but a species that is almost as repre-
hensible. 1t will not do to apologize
for it by saying that ''slang is probably
as old as human Speech and that the
early writer's INDUCED in it, especially
the Greek and Roman dramatists; and
while we may speak and write against
the pernicious habit we suspect that
we will not grow disguised enough
with it to thoroughly uproot it until it
has reached its climax. The worst fact
about it is that it is not confined to the
low and the iliterate, but has invaded
the public schools, cultured society,
and the literature of our books. I admit
that some OF the slang expressions
are forcible and full of adequateness,
among which | might name ''fred
out" Colossal cheek" etc. Still, even
Cney ought TO be tabOOed.
But whao excuse can possibly be Of
fered for such words as "galloot." ''sar-
dine" ''chump," ''kicker,'' "kid,"
etcP Or such expressions as ''let her
go, Gallagher "Waltzed off on his
ear" 81 should smoker" "Now you're
shoutin'," etc. They are scarcely en-
phatic, and certainly not polite Even
the fair sex have caught the infection
and speak about Ibis royal nibs'' or
the "howling SWELL" The girl of to-
day is ready to "bet her bottom dol
lar" wants to know "what you're
givin' her, lets you know that you are
"off your base" and insists that you
shall ''come off, ''vamose." 'skedad-
de-" ''absquatulate, " and all that.
You do her a slight favor and she ex-
claims: go, thanks, awfully" Why
she should thank you with reverend
fear' is beyond your comprehension.
Ask her to sing your sentimental ball
lad and she will probably say: 80,
really, Mr.. -, J. cawn't. It's too
utterly too-toon'
While playing lawn-tennis with her
she suddenly cries out: 80, you've
given me such twist" You feel ex-
ceedingly alarmed; you are afraid her
collar bone is broken or that at least
her wrist has been dislocated. You
discover, however, that it is but tennis
slang and that your sympathy has been
wasted. She confidently tells you that
Jennie Somebody is ''no good" and
had the "cheek" to propose to
scratch her at the meeting of the
club, because she hadn't '.forked over"
the 'spondoolicks" for the last quar-
ter. All that is to be deprecated. but
the girls, heaven bless them, look
so pretty, and use the terms so artless-
ly, that | haven't the heart to be severe
in my reproof.
1t isn't pleasant to be accosted by
ones five-y ear-old hopeful as IAN old
snoozer," or to know that he is lying in
wait to ''knock the stuffin'" out of a
neighbours boy, or to "wipe up the
floor" with him. Or to hear our short
sighted but high-spirited daughter tell
the aforesaid brother that she wishes
the other boy would "paste him on the
snoot," or "knock him clean out the
box" or ''into the middle of next
week" don't know that l am espec-
tally sensitive, and yet 1 must say that
such expressions send the creeps up my
back
The editor Swings nasty quill"
the hired girl is spot wrestler;" when
thing suits us it's lust the cheese;'
when too noisy we are told to 'dry up"
or to suspend" when cunningly on
the alert we say motif the court knows
ITSELF if one day is not available
Smother one'' is; when we die we
''pass in our checks" are ''put away
on ice," and are finally planted So
/ might go on ad infinitum. You can
think, am sure, of at least hundred
words and phrases to which l have
made no reference. For inventing cute
words and phrases our country leads
the procession. They are clever and
appropriate, get into the topical song,
the public "catch on" and they live
and thrive, and in many instances the
dictionary finally. legitimizes them.
Slang, l insist, is the fungus on the
stem. 1t is not the grated fruit; it is
the scum of language. 1t often be-
Titles; it never beauties. If we all
spoke and wrote in less exaggerated
manner we would be less exaggerated
in our ways of life and thought. Life,
as well as speech. would perhaps grow
more simple, more true, more worth
living. philadelphia Call.