The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-05-02
0ENEALOGY OF SLANG.
Words More Expressive Than the Kings
High-TOned English.

Words More Expressive Than the King'a
Heightened English.
The antiquity of slang may be easily
shown from old books. In Crosses Pro
vincial Glossary, published in 1911, the
paternity of many words currentin slang
is explained.
To bluff, meaning to deceive, was used
in NOrthum berland, and meant to blind
fold. Indeed, this word is quite re-
spectacle, being of the same high-toned
family as blindman's bluff
Call, as noun, meaning occasion,
right or obligation, as in the expression,
Derbyshire, where it was highly es-
teemed, and had the call above many
other expressions.
Concern, meaning an estate or estab-
lishment, which is often hOOted at by
critics as an American commercialism.
is an old English provincial word used
in the dear New England way.
Crank was a Kentish adjective, and
meant merry, and got turned so fire.
quently that at last it became noun in
disgust and was seldom merry. The
only bone fide merry species now extant
is the baseball crank.
Cranky in the Dutch meant sickly, and
was used in Northum berland to express
similar condition. Now and then base
ball cranks feel that way.
In 1911 "to crock" meaning to black
with SCOT, was in ill-repute, being
sneezed at as an Essex vulgarism. 1t is
quite decent word nowadays in and
around Boston, where stockings are war
rapted not to crock.
''Culch," a word pipe-makers used to
denote the residue in the bowl and stem,
and which housekeepers apply to rub
bish, is native of Kent, England,
where it was born many moons ago.
Eager" was once slang, but meant
sharp, and was applied to the air by
Shakespeare.
"Gellibagger" has kind of derisive
sound to it, and once meant bugbear.
"Gob," meaning the mouth, is of
Northumberland parentage.
1t is surprising that grit" in North
cumberland meant "Sand."
"To leather" comes from the same
part of the world, where itemeant "to
beat"
"Lamme" is fellow-citizen of
leather" and also meant "to beat"
Probably they did good deal of this
sort of thing in Northum berland, and
needed a good stock of chastise words.
In sweet old Suffolk, sure enough,
links" meant 'sausages, and in North
cumberland they called a handkerchief a
napkin.
The relationship between noggin and
drink will be seen when it is known that
nog meant ale, and that's not so very
far from egg-nog.
In some provincial places petticoat
meant what Bostonians call a mans
vest. Happy to relate, the confusion
that might have arisen had that mean
ing been transplanted on these shores,
has been averted.
"Shock' was once synonymous with
sponge, and man who sponged din
ner was said to have shocked it.
"To 60 snacks' first saw the light of
day in Worcestershire, and meant just
what it means nowadays.
$40 soil'' once meant to clean.
"Wake, noun, was applied to a feast
at the dedication of a church.
"Yaaping" is another Northumber-
land child, and means crying.
And ''whittle" used to mean a knife.
"Whopper' was also coined across the
sea, and was equivalent to thumper, or
any thing large.
Jag" word used very much nova
days, originally meant parcel or load,
and still keeps very near to its original
significa tion.-Louisville Courier-Jour-