The Dickinson press., 1889-04-13
REMARKS ABOUT WORDS.
DERIVATION AND USE OF SOME OF
OUR EVERY DAY TERMS.

0O"-
OUR EVERY DAY TERMS.
Popular Errors Concerning tho Origin of
Many Forms of Expression Common
Mistakes Which Could he Avoided ny
an Occasional Look at n Dictionary.
"Now, boys" said a Sunday scboolteacher,
"who can tell me where the rest of the pco-
plo We're when Noah and his family went
into tho arks'
~ know" exclaimed a young newsboy.
where We're theyf"
I'm dc Soup!" he answered.
The answer was not perhaps exactly what
the teacher expected. but it described the
situation of humanity at that time in n 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 tho hour, and a new phrase that is s,lg-
gestlve is welcomed with positive delight.
Tho latest that falls OH tho ear with some.
what odd effect is Tin the soup" The OK.
preston is an elongated form of the hitherto
popular left" Tho unsuccessful suitor,' the
defeated political candidate, the ''explodcd"
financial venture, the overturned market
basket; in short, mishaps and disappointments
of all kinds, are desc sibed as "in the soup"
This phrase, which is supposed to DO novel.
savors strongly of tho old expression ..in a
pickle" or ''in a stew The use of tho new
term promises to be as widespread and lasting
rs the older ones, filling as it does a long felt
want in the English language.
is A RECRUITING OFFICE.
There is, of course, great objcctiolto the
use of slang in conversation, especially MS a
steady diet" but one of our most prominent
writers has denominated slang as the recruits
OF Il language, and tho conclusion would ap.
pear correct from the avidity with which the
public accept IN applicable term and use it.
a glance at hundreds of words in use Mt the
present time ~justifics the above assertion.
There arc many words, such rs kidnapping,
boycottins, hustlilg, ETC., which are received
as valuable additions to our language Dude
and boom are two very comprehensive words.
which will DO found i'll future dictionaries.
by tue way, an item is going the rounds
credited to The Boston Herald, and speaking
OF boom asa New American word, proba.
bly, suggested by the boom of a cannon" We
expect to lind more reliable information than
that ina Hub journal, published in the Athens
NHN.s A%b y ~ W lGlN
its derivation to the boom of a schooner. The
fact is, it comes from n logging term, a boon,
being Il mass of logs rushing down stream on
n spring frcshet.
One of tho very latest additions to our
vocabulary of slang terms is tho expression
"onto your curves" This originates from
tho baseball field, and when you try to bor-
row. five and Il man tells yo.: no is onto your
curves you will know what lie means, for a
oatSman that is onto the curves of a pitcher
is the one that hits tho ball for nfour-baggcr
The word "whiskcrs" is a wonderful thing.
For some inscrutable reason the greut Amcn
can public have decided TINT Tho word
"whiskers' is irrcsistibly' comical. and the
poorest conlcdsi. >an Introduce it into the
--LATEST scrS and score n hit, especially if
anything is limited at about the breeze sigh.
ing through, etc. Even the most remot.
allusion produces u singular effect, and an
audience has been thrown into commissions OF
laughter OF hearing q man tell of letting
the wind talnpcr with his chinclillys." Pat
Rooney is tho supposed sponsor of tho word.
and it has q high position in the thcatricai
vocabulary.
MISUSE OF ORDINARY WORDS.
a short time ago tho word "potwallo,er"
was used, and a school teacher objected to i.
as slang. The ono who used it commended
that it was Queens English, and referred her
to any dictionary. a glance at Wcbstcr's
showed the word there and defined US "a
voter in certain boroughs in England where
all who boil twallon a pot arc entitled to
vote" A similar term in this country is the
mattress voter" of New York, i.e., men
who ostcnsibly live at two or thrco different
places about election time.
This ignorance Of tho correct meaning OF
words is moro universal than ono would sup
pose. Should you ask a person the meaning
of ''transpirc' he would say it meant ito
happen" and it would be very hard to make
him believe it also meant ito sweat" lie
would DO positive that it is you who are
wrong, thinking you nave tho two words per.
spire and transpire mixed up. But when
they hunt up tho word they will DO con-
WINGED. Ask a person the meaning of 'livil"
and they will say ''palc, ghastly;;" they aro
surprised that it means black and blue.
The word ''lurid" is also very generally
misunderstood The proper Interpretation
of tho word is very different from its real
meaning. When wo read of n lurid sky us
froma fire, WI think it generally as bright
red. Tho word ''lurid" means CHASTITY, pale.
etc.
A great many other instances could be
cited Of tho misuse of words. Tho above
instances will show you what little reliance
can DO placed OH any impression ono can
have of tho meaning of a word. a small
dictionary glanced ut occasionally will do
much to correct these erroneous impressions
Hartford Globe.