The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-09-25
M'swAT ON PRONUNCIATION.
He and Mrs. McSwat Have a TusseI With
the Dictionary.

nc anu hEss "CSWdt IidNe usScA WIN
the Dictionary.
"Lobelia, is the dictionary handy?"
Sitting in his cushioned armchair,
with his feet comfortably resting on
another chair, and a newspaper lying
across his lap, Mr.. Billiger McSwat
addressed this question to his wife,
who sat near the bookcase.
YES" replied Mrs McSwat.
'If it isn't too much trouble ] wish
you would look for the pronunciation
of the word mirage"
Mrs. McSwat took down the diction-
airy, opened the bulky volume, consulted
it few minutes, and said:
II always thought the word lichen'
was pronounced 'litchen' 'Lillen,' with
the i long, has the preference,
II know that already. How about
mirage"
Mrs. McSwat turned another leaf or
two.
I'm minute" she said "While am
about it I'd like to find out the meaning
of the word linoleum.'
Hurry up, Lobelia."
81 am hurrying. Let-me - see.
Link linet,' 'linseed, lint Iion,'-
why, it isn't in the dictionary at all,
Billiger. Isn't that queer?"
eyes, yes. How much longer are
you
Just minute I'm coming to it,
Turning forty or fifty of the pages at
once she ran her eye rapidly down one.
of the columns, stopped, put her finger
"A ,,1noo lnnlTnI onH nhSarN-aH.
81 didn't know there was such a word
as mathemeg' did you?"
"Never mind whether l did or not. 1
want to know
sit means fish something like the
cod, and it inhabits-"
"Who cares what it inhabits? If
you're not going to find that word mir
age madam, just say SO, and I'll hunt
it up myself.
"Just second" said Mrs. McSwat,
turning few more leaves "Mispickel!,
First time | ever saw that word, any
how"
you're turned too far over. Go back
a few pages.
sit means an ore of a silver or grayish
white'--
You're to far over, tell you! Turn
back leaf or two!''
Il have. 'Misconstrue.' Accented
on the second syllable. l never knew
that before. Did you? l always
thought it was
"Never mind what you thought it
was! The word | want to know about
is
''Yes l know I'll find it in about "a
there, I've turned too far back. 'Mez-
za-voice. Pronounced 'medza-vocha.'
Why don't they spell it that way, I'd
like to know? All, here's word I've
always wanted to know the meaning
of. Meter
Mr. McSwat kicked over the chair his
feet were resting on.
Its French measure of length, Bill
Tiger, equal to $3.50 English inches or
-"
Mr.. McSwat crumpled up the paper
he had been reading and threw it at the
cat with all his might
"Or 80, 36S American inches" contin-
ued Lobelia, serenely unconscious of
her husbands fidgcts. st is intended to
be the ten millionth part of the distance
from the equator to the"
Good gracious Lobelia! Are you
ever going To-"
North pole, as ascertained by actual
measurement of an arc of the meridian.
What was the word you wanted me to
find, dear?'
Then Mr.. McSwat gave it up. He
threw off his dressing-gown, jerked on
his coat, growled out something to the
effect that it was just like a woman,
and he didn't care the ten millonth part
of a continental ding-ding whether she
looked it up or not; and then he kicked
the cat clear across the room and went
out into the back yard to cool off
Chicago Tribune.