Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-09-19
ORIGIN OF SLANG.
HOW SOME POPULAR PHRASES
CAME INTO BEING. (

Pat EXPRESSIONS Which Found Favo
and Still Stick-When I" Chest
nuts" % Boom" Too Thin,
"Daisy" and Other Words Started
This may be called in one sense the
age of sung. But after all what is called
slang is frequently the giving of new
meaning to old words or the invention
of new words from old roots. The slang
Of to-day becomes the elegant language
of tomorrow. 1t is interesting to note
how many of the commonest words and
even phrases which we're once regarded
IS slangy and inelegant became part
of the polite language of the times.
Words, like lives have biography.
Many words, indeed, have hist res
which are histories of important pers ons
and events in affairs of the world. This
makes the history of word often as
interesting and as valuable as that of
individuals.
"Dun is a word now whose meaning
is known to every one who understands
the English language Too many wish
they did not know it. Yet at the begin.
ming of this century it was unknown as
a verb. About that time constable in
England named john Dun became cele-
brated as a first class collector of lad
accounts. When others would fail to
collect bad debt Dun would be sure 10
get it out of the debtor. So we'll known
did this become that people from the
surrounding country sent him their ac-
counts when they could not collect them.
10,
when person owed money and did not
pay when asked, he would have to be
Dunned." Hence, it soon became
common in such cases to say, "You will
have to Dun so-and-so if you wish to
collect your money"
Until the nomination Of Franklin
Pierce for the Presidency the word "out
slider" was unknog.aa. The Committee !
on .-seuontia,s came in to make its re ,
port and could not get into the hall be-
cause Of the crowd Of people who We're
not members of the convention. The I
Chairman of the convention asked II the /
committee was ready to report, and the /
Chairman of tho committee answered: /
"Yes, Mr.. Chairman; but the commit /
tee is unable to get inside on account of 1
the crowd and pressure of these out 4
siders." The news apcr reporters, ever
ready to appreciate good word on
phrase, took up the word and used it.
Since then it has been a common word,
and we could not do without it,
''Boom," in its new sense Of meaning
popular clamor for a man, or Tor any
question or movement, is a recent word
being first used rs such in 1880.
Grant was being run for a third term.
This brought out a bitter opposition,
even among Republicans. One paper
said the movement wes like a boom
across a swollen stream, taking in all
that was worth having. 4 st. Louis
pa er took it up, and said the third term
was properly called a boom,
as it raked in everything ON the top of
the muddy stream Of politics, mostly
trash and scum. This gave new mean
ing to the word. Since then it has been
In common use as such.
''Chestnuts." in reference to repeat
ing stories which are old, is a new word,
and not much can be said in its favor,
except that, being word that is not in
elegant either in sound or origin, and
so much in two syllables, it
has probably como TO stay with us. its
origin is not positively known, and only
two probable sources are given. One is
that some shrowd wit, seeing an analogy
between the propensity of joke TO be-
,ome S ale and fiat quickly and the
chestnut to become wOrmy in q few
lays, applied the word chestnut" TO
! joke when repeated too often and
al Of hftth
lad heard it so frequently rs TO become /
1ored. This may be its origin, but am
Inclined to attribute it to the other
alleged source Ito wit that theatrical S
party travelling on train, and trying to {
,eguile the weary hours by reading and I
cling stories, bought lot Of chestluts
It station to help PASS the time. A
member Of the company proposed that ]
hey tel stories, and that whoever told
! story that had been tod recently ?
hould be pelted with chestnuts. A little I
,ell in the party was to be rung when y
,ver stale joke was porpetrated rs a !
1gnal that all were to fling chestnut !
It tho offender. This is said to be the
'rigin both of the phrase and of the S
chestnut bell craze which ragged over the !
'ntire country four years ago.
''You ore a daisy" is considered very '
langy by those who use it indiscrimin- q
.telv; and, oftentimes, it is. But il o
Used in the sense in which its inventor,
may so speak Of word, Charles :
Dickens, intended it, it is a good and /
orcible word. In David Copperfield" 9
is first used in the sense of calling O 6
'erson daisy in a way to express admi- d
alton, and, at the same time, to laugh
t ones credulity. Steerforth SAYS to 7
-oung Copperfeld: David, my daisy, b
-ou are so innocent of the world Let
ne call you my daisy, as it is so refresh v
ng to find one in these corrupt days so $
innocent and unsophisticated. MY dear
the daisies of the field arc ]
lot fresher than you" Hence, when
onveying the idea that person is art
occ a ri ,-,,.l 4