Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-26
REMARKS ABOUT WORDS.
DERIVATION AND USE OF SOME OF
OUR EVERY DAY TERMS.

Popular Errors Concerning the Origin OF
Many Forms of Expression - Common
Mistakes Which Could BE Avoided by
an Occasional Look at a Dictionary.
"Now, boys" said Sunday school teacher.
"who can tell me where tho rest of the peo-
pie were when Noah and his family went
into the arkf'
81 known exclaimed n young newsboy.
Where were theyi'
I'm de soupl' he answered
The answer was not perhaps exactly what
the teacher expected, but it described the
situation of humanity at that time In style
best adapted TO the boys comprehension.
To be-"chic" in conversation is an attribute
much admired in either the man or the
woman of society. A generous sprinkling of
slang is permitted to enliven the small talk
Of the hour, and a new phrase that Is sug-
gestive is welcomed with positive delight.
The latest that falls on the ear with some
what odd effect is lin the SOUP" The ex-
preston Is an elongated form of the hitherto
popular left" The unsuccessful sutton, the
defeated political candidate, the exploded"
financial venture, the overturned market
basket; in short, mishaps and disappointments
Va Ill klIuS, ueScTlDesl us III inc
This phrase, which is supposed 10 be novel,
savors strongly of the old expression ''in
pickle" or Sin a stew The use Of the new
term promises TO be rs widespread and lasting
as the older ones, filling as it does a long felt
want In the English language.
sLAND Is A RECRUITING OFFICE
There is, of course, great objection to the
use OF slang in conversation, especially as q
steady diet" but one of our most prominent
writer's has denominated slang as the recruits
OF a language, and the conclusion would ap-
pear correct from the avidity with which the
public accept an applicable term and use it.
A glance at hundreds of words in use at the
present time justifies the above assertion.
There are many words, such as KIDNAPPING.
boycotting, hustling, etc, which are received
as valuable additions to our language Dude
and boom are two very comprehensive words
which will be found in future dictionaries
By the way, an item is going the rounds
credited 10 The Boston Herald, and speaking
of boom" as New American word, proba-
bly, suggested by the boom of a cannon" We
expect TO find more reliable information than
that In Hub journal, published In the Athens
OF America. They might as well try to trace
Its derivation TO the boom of Il schooner The
TACT Is, 1t comes from logging term, a boom
being mass of logs rushing down stream on
spring freshet.
One of the very latest additions to our
vocabulary of slang terms is the expression
'onto your curves This originates from
the baseball field, and when you try to Dor
row nve and man tells you he is onto your
curves you will know what he means for a
oatsman that is onto the curves of a pitcher
is the one that hits the ball for four-bagger
The word ssxyhiSL.arSN Il
For some inscrutable reason the great Aneri-
can public have decided that the word
''whiskers" is irresistibly comical, and the
poorest comedian can introduce it into the
--LATEST song and score hit, especially il
anything is limited at about the breeze sigh
ing through, etc. Even the most remote
ailusion produces singular effect, and an
audience has been thrown into commissions of
laughter on hearing man tell OF letting
the wind tamper with his chinchillys" Pat
Rooney Is the supposed sponsor of the word,
and 1t has high position in the theatrical
vocabulary.
MISUSE OF ORDINARY WORDS.
short time ago the word ''potwallopern
was used and a school teacher objected 10 IL
as slang. The one who used it commanded
that 1t was Queens English, and referred her
to any dictionary. A glance at Webster,s
showed the word there and defined as "a
voter In certain boroughs in England where
all who boil twallop) a pot are entitled to
vote" A similar term in this country Is the
mattress voter" of New York, 1. O.. men
who ostensibly live at two or three different
places about election time
This ignorance of the correct meaning of
words Is more universal than one would sup
pose. Should you ask person the meaning
of ''transpire" he would say it meant ito
happen and'it would be very hard to make
him believe it also meant ito SWEAT He
would be positive that it is you who are
wrong, thinking you have the two words Der
spire and transpire mixed up But when
they hunt up the word they will be- con-
WINGED Ask person the meaning of "lividn
and they will say pale, ghastly;n they are
surprised that it means black and blue
The word 'lurid" is also very generally
misunderstood. The proper Interpretation
of the word is very different from its real
meaning. When we read of lurid sky as
from a fire, we think it generally as bright
red. The word ''lurid' means CHASTITY, pale,
etc.
A great many other instances could be
cited of the misuse of words The above
instances will show you what little reliance
can be placed on any impression one can
have of the meaning Of word A small
dictionary glanced at occasionally will do
much to correct these erroneous impressions
Hartford Globe.