The Baltimore County union., 1890-11-08
S Ian G

The purity OF OF the language used by q COM
munity is an index of its general intellectual
culture. Few things are more agreeable to the
ear than clean, pure and comprehensive Ian
guage and the more simple it may be the more
pleasing it becomes While these facts are uni
versally conceded, it is somewhat remarkable
that very few are masters of the art of correct
speaking, and not many make any attempt to
become so.
Our children spend long years in the public
schools wrestling with Language" among
other branches of instruction. They are there
taught to analyze sentences, shown how one
word is dependent upon the other, initiated
into the mysteries of noun and verb and article,
and graduate, according to the wording of their
certificates, as proficient in photography; yet
scarcely has the school-room door closed upon
them after school-hours at any time during all
that long course of study, before they were con-
and which seems to be far more easy of acqui-
sition than that taught within the school. l.house
walls. They may, and many do, speedily for
get their teachers grammar lessons, but the
language of the t-slang-stays by them
forever.
thorized language" This is one definition ;
there is yet another. Most slang is the use of
any word or sentence to which new or inn
proper meaning has been given: For instance,
young lady is walking with her escort, both
we'll attired and bearing evidences of refine
attracts the young lady's attention, and, clutch
ing her companions arm, she says, in subdued
tones, get on to that woman's dress" Were
he to follow her injunction literally he would
speedily find himself in trouble, and the young
lady herself would be foremost in his condem-
nation.
Again, an election having been held, and
party feeling as usual, having run high, the
journalistic organ of the successful ticket pub.
fishes glowing account of the victory, and
the article is headed In the Soup! Everyone
knows just what is meant by those three words,
but no book on language no dictionary, or any
authority save ''slang," will warrant their use
| in any such sense
These are illustrations of but two of the many
| slang words and phrases in common use, and
| the tendency is constantly to increase the num-
| ber. To such an extent has slang become the
rule, that good authorities tell us it is almost
| impossible to hear spoken sentence that does
not contain slang, and it has been asserted that
some Of our tramps and street arabs can main
| tain protracted conversation by the use wholly
| of slang.
The great Dickens somewhat caustically crit
| icised the American people upon the use OF
slang, but it is not by any means peculiar to
this country, although. perhaps, more pre-
dominant and aggressive here. In Europe it is
| confined almost wholly to the lowest classes
and few fashionable idiots among the upper
ten, but in this country it is universal; and
while there the use of slang is an evidence OF
ignorance or imbecility, with us it bears no
| such reproach, and an apropos utterance of slang
seems rather to be considered a smart perform
| ance and is usually rewarded with smile.
Any great popular occasion gives birth to one
or more slang phrases, even popular play
| often affords an opportunity for enriching the
"slang dictionary" Everyone remembers the
hardly ever of "Pinafore ''and the last presi-
Dental election afforded its quota. For any
one about that time to say he's all right was a
convincing proof there were no flies on him.
These, however, can scarcely come under the
reproach of being slang, although occupying
debateable ground. At all events it is not as
bad as good deal we so often hear.
would be much better if we could do so in its
| purity. 1t is grand and sonorous language,
| and deserves better treatment than the perver-
| sion and mutilation it so frequently receives.
| Not long since, in public restaurant, we lis
| tened for several minutes to stream OF pure
and eloquent English that fell on our ears like
sweetest music. Subsequent inquiry developed
| the speaker was German, and had mastered
| our language under German professor in one
| ofthe universities of Fatherland. Ifaforeigner
| could thus speak pune English, why should
| not we? Why do we not? The freedom OF
which we boast so much does not warrant every
| man in using slang, or attributing whatever
meaning to word that may suit his fancy.
The pandering to this folly of slang is not an
evidence of freedom by any means, but rather
OI u COuJeLlptlUlC lOILu VI oAdtCIy tAoo OA1SAA
renders the conversation of an intellectual man
wholly incomprehensible to ordinary hearers.
The politicians are just now exercised over
the Bennett law and similar State legislation,
in which the compulsory education in English
is the disputed point But why make all this
fuss about a language so few of us seem will
ing to use, and which is rapidly being supplant-
ed by slang. 1t seems sad commentary ON
the public schools, that cost S115 600, 600 year.
to be told by some of our distinguished educa-
tors that we are ceasing to speak English, and
by small coterie of enthusiasts that we do
not know how to spell.
Here is field that offers a most excellent
opportunity for the labors of these spelling
"reformers." 1t will be useless to inaugurate
the new spelling so long as we persist in using
slang. Why need we worry over the ue in
''pedagogue," when. if woman, we call her
''schoolmarm," and, if man, ''his nibs"
What difference does it make whether we use
+ or phi for physician, when We dud him ''old
bolus'' or 'sawbones"? Or why trouble about
the te in "coquette," when she would usually
be termed "masher"?
We have no doubt a systematized effort
might be made productive of very considerable
benefit to the language, especially if the reform
ers could eliminate from the vernacular all the
words now misused as slang The subsequent
task of respelling the few that remained would
be greatly simplifed; and as most of us would
have to attend school again to acquire the
knowledge of framing sentences in the recon-
structed English language, we could concur
rently take course IN spelling under the
''reform" dispensation. Modern EngrdVer
O-