Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-14
ANERICANISAIS.
Names and Expressions Which Are
Peculiar to this Country.
From the Wisconsin.

From the Wisconsin.
1t is related Of youth who was travelling in
Europe, when questioned about his nationality,
that he fxed his voluble interlocutor with a
cleaning eye and loftily answered.: :'Sir, am
an American citizen!' This was at a consider
ably earlier period Of the worlds history, be-
fore the genus American was SO well known
land universally appliedO as at the present
day.
Pardon me, sir, may ask what tribe?"
Tribe! tribe!' Darius drew himself up and
Numbered forth, with the genuine wrath of
1.-The native born" at feeling the edge of satire,
'Why, hang it, belong to the tribe of Knick-
erbockers'
Sand you, sir turning to Darius companion.
"may ! inquire if also you are Knicker-
bocker?''
mo, gosh durn it! I'm Yankee, pure and
simple-the genuine Bunker Hill sort. Why.
man alive! there's as many tribes in my coun-
try as there are milestones in yours" As the
foreigner departed, wondering, the New Eng
lander whistled softly, winked-apparently to
the surrounding scenery-and muttered: Most
drew him out Of his boots! Might as well tell
'em sumner, an be done with'tr"
But, II one travels extensively in our own
country, we unconsciously receive somewhat
similar impressiOn--an impression of being
alien to the various localities, of but half COM
pretending the various dialects; often the COM
monest articles of household service bear
totally unfamiliar names. A 'harrow" in New
England becomes ''horry' in Delaware. The
corn meal Johnny cake" of the south becomes
the "batter bread" Of the Virginian; his deli
cate pancake" is the ''griddle cake" of the
Yankee, aud the Delawarean's toothsome NOR
sci known AZ "slaps" and ''slappers."
The northern ''brook" glides into "a branch
or "a run" The frying-pan Of every kitchen
Ii known as 1.-The spider" in northern homes
and 1.-The skillet" in every southern family. In
like manner pail changes into ''bucket i
q gown waist" into "a body" "Giddupr
placidly entreats the northern farmer of his
steed, then subsidies into a whistling reverie.
sect up, you mule! You jack Get up, strongr'
shouts the southron-evidently from the force
of habit, rather than from expecting any result
Of his vehement urging. The Delawarean, with
an objurgatory accent indescribably droll, as il
the mental effort we're almost too much for
him, yet must be made, loftily calculates, ''gee
up. penny, wo haw!'
The New Englander's epithet of CLEVER
applied in the sense Of being not too bright, q
go0d-natured dullard-in Delaware is every.
where superseded by "onery." This word may
originally, have been a corruption of .'ordi-
nary" and by slow process have assumed itl
present signiE .ance; 1t Is used with contemptu.
Gus emphasis, AZ IL one far below mediocrity-
The is an emery crittur!' The Yankee speaks
Of getting rid or undesirable possessions, and
his southern brother quantity "gets shet OF it; 2
he also attends ''vandus" with punctuality
peculiar to ''auction sales" all over our fai,
land. One might multiply such examples in.
definitely, and we are apt to end with sigh
We'll, We live in q big country, and, after all
only partially know each other"