The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-18
"Cheap and Nasty'-History Of a Phrase.

"Cheap and Nasty''-History Of q Phrase.
In the Vossiche Zeitun0. daily newspaper
published in Berlin. there appears this Gu
rious and amusing statement concerning
the origin Of tho phrase cheap and nasty"
as applied to the German exhibit at Phila-
delphia in 1876:
where this Objectionable phrase inventedf Tho
author OF and Of the letter In which occurred 10
the reporter OF THz NEW YoRk suN. an Irish paper
Irish and Germans there mix together about a,
well as oil and water and pure Irish paper obliged
to write an anti-German article . week for tho
benefit OF its subscribers This tho case on the
2sth OF May. 1876 In The NEW YoRx SUI on the very
DAY after my arrival in Philadelphia
"'Cheap and ugly tina, is tho verdict on German
industry: thus began the article and follow tho
rest OF the datrbe which WAS to appear four W eeks
later In the National zsitung and divide our ranks
somewhat dumfounded by the spiteful leader of
the Irish Journal
vt Is sad that the spiteful criticism of tho irish
should have been 50 believed in here at homo Nasty
Is not tho original word Tho English newspaper the
1m frst employed tho word In trsnslatng The letter
from the German. The Irish treated US somewhat
milder than the translator. Tho Irish said originally
We must confess the German products are very solid
and durable but cheap and ugly"
The phrase and the criticism here 80 COM
ically attributed to Irish jealousy OF Ger
many and the Germans. appeared in The
Sun OF May 80. 1876 In descriptive letter
written from Philadelphia by that accom-
plished Frenchman and cosmopolite, the
late NAPOLEON l.. THIEBLIN. No race pref
udice influenced the verdict Of that compe-
tent and impartial observer when he wrote:
Tho German department Of the Philadelphia Exhi.
billion will for long time to como. remain puzzle to
many people: puzzle because from the strength OF
Gar an he race
successes Of the German empire In Europe and from
the old standing and high reputation OF the German
people thrift aud industry everybody had the right
| to anticipate q very brilliant show tho part of
ds gesaaua VaeraaL Yet these pations dis
| appointed The German dep artmont. taken both a
whole AMI In detail is the poorest least interesting
and least Instructive of all The motto OF industrial
| Germany seems to DO ugly aud cheap"
The ugly and cheap" OF the original
article became biHiJ ind schlecht when
| translated into German by tho National
Zeitung OF Berlin; and biUig und schlecht in
turn became cheap and nasty" in the
London Times y retranslation Of the phrase
into English again.
Tho fairness OF this criticism upon the
qualityan style OF many Of the goods sent
to our Centennial Exposition by the Ger
man manufacturers was apparent to every
bodyat the timo. Its justice and truth
were squarely admitted by no less an au-
thority than Herr Professor REULEAUx.
German Commissioner and juror at the
Philadelphia Exhibition. In his report to
the Imperial Government Herr REULEAUx
remarked that there was only too much
truth in the American opinion that. In COM
parison with tho exhibits Of other nations.
the German products displayed at the
Centennial weie Hlli0 uad schlecht. The