Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-01
WHAT'S In A NAME?
A Good Deal When 1t Comes to Calling for
Whisky as Whisky--Most Men Call for 1t
In slang-Local Phraseology-saloon
GlaasNare

A Good Deal When 1t Comes to Calling for
Whisky as whisky--Most Men Call. for 1t
In siang-Local Phraseology-saloon
Glassware.
The peculiarities of mankind have been q
sort of hobby of mine, and like great
many people in the world, like to devote
little time to the study of human nature.
Now human nature is very broad subject,
and one that may be studied from various
standpoints, and I am candid enough to
admit that mine has been very peculiar
standpoint, namely the saloon. Did you
ever notice what very urbane manner
man assumes when he enters saloon? The
very moment he crosses the threshold he
assumes different manner, in fact he is not
the same man. There seems to come to him
a sort of genial warmth of nature. Not in
all cases, but in the ma jority, and he is
ready to shake hands and spend few min
utes In idle conversation with perhaps only
chance acquaintance.
Then, again, did you ever notice how
timid most men are? I'll venture to say
that not two men in hundred who enter
saloons for the sole purpose of I.artaking of
drink of whisky will call for it by that
name. They have no hesitation in asking
for beer, a cocktail or any mixed drink,
but when it comes down to asking for
whisky straight then they weaken. A vast
majority ofliqnor drinkers will say to the
bartender: "Well, let me have some of the
old stuff "Poison," can eye-opener,"
"a little of the old medicine, >" ''Some of
your best, ""A little Of the dew" or ''Some
of the old creature" 1t is an absolute fact
that but few men have the temerity to go
into saloon and ask for whisky by that
name. ,.'.
Beer drinkers also have their little
peculiar characteristics. For instance, one
man likes glass of beer with handle to
thin glass; still another wants a stem glass,
and finally in comes the mill worker who
demands schooner. He wants his moneys
worth.
These peculiarities are sometimes con-
fined to localities. Take, for instance, the
Southside; no man ever thinks of entering
a saloon and asking for whisky there.
Gracious no! The have an entirely new
name for it on that side of the Monongahela
They call it "snipe," and few, if any. over
there ever ask for whisky; they simply say,
"Let us have little snlpe."
Out along the Penn avenue district,
where millmen are plenty, they have still
another name for it. ':Let me have
heater and cooler" is common order out
that way. A 'heater and cooler" when
translated into plain English, means
whisky and beer.
ga jigger" is also another name for
liquor that is commonly used. A .jigger'
is small glass that the bartender fills up
for the customer and is dealt out to him for
cents. A digger" generally contains as
much liquor as an ordinary man would take
and pay Is cents for.
The peculiarities of people both as to
drinking and what they drink from, has
made the saloon regular glassware estab-
lishment. Some few years ago the whisky
bottle was long necked affair with sort
of sprav fountain attachment at the end,
incased in what was marble. such as bows
call an 'agate," but Just what peculiar in
fuence it had on the whisky is not known.
Nowadays the bottle is of the best quality
of flint glass with fancy. stopper and still
fancier liquor. In the old days there was
only use for the old fashioned beer glass
with handle. Nowadays they have al
most gone out OF existence and in their
stead have come the thinner and finer
glasses.
"ofcourse it is the old story "customs
have changed" JIM