The Bossier banner., 1891-11-26
M'swAT ON PRONUNCIATION.
He and Mrs. eSwat Have a Tussel With
the Dictionary.
"Lobelia, is the dictionary handy?"

the Dictionary.
''Lobelia, is the dictionary handy?"
Sitting in his cushioned armchair, |
with his feet comfortably resting on
another chair, and newspaper lying
across his lap, Mr.. Billiger McSwat
addressed this question to his wife,
who sat near the bookcase.
Yes, replied Mrs McSwat,
"1f 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 a few minutes, and said:
Il always thought the word lichen'
was pronounced 'litchen.' 'Liken, with
the II 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, llucb. IluStOl, 1IHGI num-
why it isn't in the dictionary at all,
| Billiger. Isn't that queer?"
Eyes, yes. How much longer are
you
Just a minute. I'm coming to il"
Turning forty or fifty of the pages at
once she ran her eye rapidly down one
of the columns, stopped put her finger
on the place, looked up, and observed:
81 didn't know there was such word
as 'mathemeg, did you?"
Never mind whether did or not. l
want to know
at means a 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 a second said Mrs. McSwat,
turning a few more leaves. "MispiclIel!,
First time l ever saw that word, any
how"
You're turned too far over. Go bach
few pages
1T means an ore of a silver or grayist
white'-
You're to far over, tell you! Turr
back leaf or two.'
Il have. 'Misconstruc' Accented
on the second syllable. / never knew
that before. Did you? l Away
thought it was
Never mind what you thought i
was! The word l want to know abou
: is
s.I- 1o,,, TN S,d - in obo,,+ a
there, I've turned too far back. 'Mez
: za-voice.' Pronounced 'medza-vocha-
Why don't they spell it that way, II
- like to know? All, here's a word Nv
{ always wanted to know the meanin
of. Meter"
:. Mr.. McSwat kicked over the chair hi
k feet were resting on.
Its a French measure of length, Bi
!. Tiger, equal to 1870 English inches {
:, Mr.. McSwat crumpled up the pape
- he had been reading and threw 1t at tn
cat with all his might.
a OR 80, 1868 American inches, contiI
.s ued Lobelia, serenely unconscious {
: her husbands tidgets. 1T is intended
70 be the ten millionth part of the distan'
% from the equator to the
b. Good gracious Lobelia! Are ye
is ever going to
North pole, as ascertained by actu
,~ measurement of an arc of the merida
:, What was the word you wanted me
If find, dear?"
Then Mr.. McSwat gave it up. J
n. threw off his dressinggown. jerzed {
a his coat, growled out something to Il
r. effect that it was just like a woma
C and he didn't care the ten millionth pa
of a continental ding-ding whether s.
NJ looked it up or not: and then he kick
in the cat clear across the room and we
~ out into the back yard to cool off.
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