The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1890-06-04
HEARD IN ENGLAND.
Some Things Eugene Field Learned
In London Town
A List of Articles to which tho English
Assign Names Differing from Those
wo Use-Indirectness of Speech
Prevails Everywhere.

a List OF Articles TO hhAch tho EhBAsh
Assign Names Differing nom Those
wo Use-Indirectness Of Speech
Prevails Everywhere.
You must pardon me for using that
word molasscs. Having lived six
months in Britain 1 should have said
treac1e, writes Eugene Field in the
Chicago News. 1 study to be correct
even in little matters of this kind, but
I find it very hard to conform to English
as it is spoken this side Of the saline
pool.
Quito at random made Up a list Of
articles to which tho English assign
names differing from those we use:
That which wo call q bowl is here
known as a basin. In England you ask
for basin Of bread and milk.
That which is known TO us as a pitcher
is here called a jug.
A donkey hero is called a mOl1e; in
America a moke is a negro. Local slang
for a oab-horse IS eats meat" because
the meat Of horses is peddlcd around
the streets for feeding to cats. BY the
way, British cats average much larger
than our American cats, and they are
notorious cbicken-hllers. The brindle
cat seems to be the commOnest-
What We call crackers are hero called
biscuit, and suspect that this is strict
ly correct
What VIC call shoes arc here known
as boots, and what VIC call boots are
hero known as bluchers. There is ono
shoe called the hilo. because it runs
high from the heel up back of the ankle
and is cut low in front.
Our druggist is here a chemist, many
of the older practitioners retaining the
old spclling-'chymist."
What We call alo is here known as
bitter beer.
What is here known as a hash we
should call stew, and what VIC call
hash is here known as a mince.
In England our overcoat becomes
| great coat, our undershirt becomes a
| vest, and our drawers become panta-
| looms. 1t Is said that when George w.
| Childs, Of Philadelphia, was in London
number of years ago he walked into a
haberdashery, and, seeking to appear to
/ be a native, asked to be shown the
| styles in silk waistcOats. "Jcemes,"
cried the proprietor to his assistant,
"step this way and show this Hameri-
/ can gentleman our flOwery wesl1itsr'
What we call sick the Englishman
/ calls i'll; sickness here implies nausea
and vomiting. The British usage is
wrong; but tho late Richard Grant
White settled the point pretty definite
ly. How came the British to fall into
this perversiOn? It was, I think, be-
cause the British can go nowhere except
by water; that travel by water induces
| unpleasant symptoms of nausea and
retching, which condition, called sick
ness, gradually came to be regarded as
the correct definition Of the word sick
ness. I can't imagine how the British
justify their use of the words homesick,
heartsick and lOvesick.
Here they call a street-car a tram;
correct. Here, too, an elevator is a lift,
and that is right.
What we call a telegram is here called
telegraph; it viii probably never be
determined which of these usages is the
better. Our postal-card is hero a post
card; cuffs become wrists.
That material known to us as canton
| flannel is here called swan's-dOwn, and
our muslin IS known hereabOut as
calico.
Our locomotive becomes engine, and
our conductor is here a guard.
What we call Slowing culinary term
the British call simmering; our lunch
is here luncheon, and our baggage be-
comes luggage.
Oar wheat is called corn, and our corn
is called maize, or sometimes Indian
corn. Pigs feet are called trotters. BY
the way, a theatrical name for bad
actor is rotter-
A ''chill' is here called a ''rigOr,' and
the eruption commonly known among
us as ''hives" is here known as ''nettle-
rash" Candy is variously known as
''swects," ''sweetmeats" and ''lOlly."
Writing to John Smith, your social
equal, you are expected to address him
as John Smith, Esq; If he be you
tailor, grocer, ETC., you address him as
Mr.. John Smith.
The word ''apt" is exceedingly popu
lar here. 1t is "apt to rain, "apt to be
muddy" a man is ''apt to 90 down
bOWus a jain - sApb W Suoptilus tLC
Even the best prints use this word as
synonym for "likely" and like.
Another barbarism everywhere preva
lent in the United Kingdom is the use
of the adverb directly" for tho con
junction 'as soon as'-e. e, directly hC
went out I shut the door" Charles
Dickens, who was quite slovenly a
times, seems to have been addicted t.
this indefensible vice.
What does this British word cleft
tenant mean7 l should like to know.
'Quite" is another hacl1neyed worC
here; it is edged in upon every occasion
The first criticism 1 would pass upo1
the press of London would be for the
indirectness of its speech. Whom ;
newspaper writer wishes to convey the
idea that yesterday was pleasant day
: he says: Yesterday was not an IN
pleasant day" a good play Is ''no
half bad" q humorous speech Is mo
, unrclieved by wit" \ riotOusly ap
! plauded address is not wholly unac
( cented by demonstrations Of approval,
and so on, ad infn- ct ad naus- Now al
this sort OF thing may be subtle and
a may be conservative, but it is not in thu
! spirit Of the AnglO-Saxon, and 1t vexe
J mo to find 50 little Of the Anglo-Saxor
a in tho literature, the speech and tn,
practices Of the very people where hat
thought to find so much.