The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-09-13
Mi5Crll
Verbal Curi0sitiCs.

The origin OF some words is as peculiar as
the subsequent detection of their meaning is
interesting. The word tariff had queer
origin. a promOntOry called Tarita, in
southern Spain, juts into the Straits of Glib
ratar and commands the entrance into the
Mediterranean sea The ancient MoOrs built
a fortress upon 1t and levied duty on the
merchandise carried by the passing ships.
This tax was carried "tariu" which was
finally shortened to tariff Another word
with a queer origin is the word stoker. In
old English "stcik" means TO shut" and
stoke to shut up ChauCcr says: "Theh
hadst thou the gate stoke" (shuU. The man
on the engine who puts the coal into the fur
mace, and then stokes" the door, becomes a
"stoker,' or shul-up-er.
a COMMON SALUTATION.
The annual fair in the Isle of Ely was
called St. Audrey's fair, and much ordinary
but snowy lace was sold to the country
lasses. ST. Audrey's lace soon became pro-
verbal, and from that cause taudry, n cor
ruplon of st. Audrey, was established as a
common expression to denote not only cheap
lace, but any other partof female dress which
was more CANDY in appearance than war
rantCd by its quality or value. We now
spell the word "tawdry' and us. it in the
same sense.
The saIutation, How do you do?" sounds
like mn awkward and redundant sentence,
aud vet its origin was sensible one. Dow
in old English, pronounced do, means "to be
able" "to thrive" Ito prosper" 1t should
not suggest redundancy, for it is equivalent
to saying, "fIOw do you thrive?' How do
you prosper" The colloqualisnl, ole is a
do-Iess (dow-ess) fellow had the same
origin, and means one who is too weak or
shittlcss 10 prosper.
Wien, as Americans, we use the word cute
in the sense Of "clcvcr" or "sharp," we keep
within the legitimate, which cannot be said
when we use it instead Of pretty. "Ain't it
cure?' has been adopted by the fair sex to an
exaspcrating extent. When we hear Il
speaker say "sistren" (sisters) VIC consider
him lacking in education. 1t IS as legitimate
word as "brethren," and both words date
back to the time OF Chaucer, who called the
intcs "the fatal sistrcn."
RIGHT TO SAY "ANYwUEN."
If it is proper TO say anyhow" and ANY
where" why is it not proper to say ANY
when?' The others merely survived it, for
Mackay quotes the expression, 81 will talk
the matter over with you anywhere and any
when" Graft" and cunning" at one time
stood for skill and ability" The word
"bOtch," applied To bad workman or his
work, is from the word "bauch," meaning
Indifferent. Putting the cart before the
horse" common expression for beginning
to do thing at the wrong end, was in use as
early as 1888, and first appeared in the Greek
of Lucien, nearly 200 years ago.
"Namose," Il slang expression which came
into use after the Mexican war, is the Span
ish vamos, "let us 60" TO "bully," meaning
to worry or torment in n staggering man.
ner. is said to have been derived from the
noisy way in which drovers take bullOCks to
market Bogus is a corruption of Borgese,
the name of n man who at one time flooded
the west and southwest with counterfeit
money. Bother is said to have been first
used by sergeant, who cried out to two in
cessant takers, one at each car, "DOu't both
ear me-"
Canteen is one of the few words in the
English language which passed into foreign
tongue and was afterwards taken back in a
modified form. The Saxon called it a "tin-
can" hut the Ganl, as is wont, placed the
noun before the adjective, and pronounced
the as c. thus rendering it Cantccn. 1t be
came French military term, aud the Eng
/ fish incorporated it among their military
terms. The changes that have occurred in
the English language are remarkable. Going
back to the time of Queen Elizabeth, we can
readily note them. In the time of ChauCcr
and Cover, little more than 800 years ago,
the dialect has half foreign look, while as
early as the days Of King Alfred it is unln-
/ trlligIhlc without the aid of glossary
Frank 5. StdHDer in UetroH free Press.