The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-04
EXPRESSIVE SLANG.
Curious Words and Phrases That
Obtain Popularity.
WElL-KN0WN SENTENCES.
Pictursque Language That Is Current In
Nearly Every Walk of Business Life
The scholar Seldom Invents Slang.

In its inception the most characteristic
slang is evidently due to defective educa-
ton and the need to express ideas for which
very limited vocabulary furnishes no
adequate terms. man Of culture finds
no difficulty In putting his thoughts into
fitting words. II his own tongue fails him.
he may borrow from foreign language
A clever gamin might invent slang;
scholar never would. And II is the gamin
who is the true language builder, for while
the scholar imports alien words or sen.
tences to express involved mental processes,
the gamin makes the homespun material
for common wear
Financial disaster in it's various aspects
is prolific source Of contemporary slang
Poverty laughs grtmly at its own rags,
and makes Jest Of its hunger pangs. A
man is said TO be ION bis uppers" when be
has reached state Of destitution where,
actually or metaphorically, he may be sup
posed to have worn away the soles Of his
shoes Milder forms Of the same unpleas-
ant predicament are variously designated
as broke" or dead brokep cleaned
out" "up the spout" busted" and laid
ON the shelf" laid cut cold" is grisly
suggestion in the same category.
-
hs may assure You that he 'is short" ''in
a hole" or ''in box" and II you cannot
accommodate him he will feel that he is
badly left" In default of an expected re
mittance, or on . "slump in stocks" or
break In poels," be may experience a
marked fall Of the moral thermometer, in
which case 1t will be "a cold day" with
him. The latter phrase IL frequently used
In All exactly opposite sense; and when em-
phasized with a disdainful accent and a
knowing look. the assertion that 1T Is n
| cold day when l get left" expresses the
very sublimation Of worldly wisdom and
astutenesA Yet the same clever individ
ual, notwithstanding his acquaintance with
| the ways Of men and the mutations of for
tune, will not seldom get it square in the
neck"
IMPRESSIVE PHRASES.
He may even be forced to take tempo
rsry employment with the well known
| business house of "Lcggit & Walker"
whose special line of trade is said to be
measuring the sidswalks." Counting
the ties" II the brief record of many an
actual experience More than one lu-
minary Of the stage. stranded, penniless
and without credit In q strange town, has
literally counted the railway ties on
bis painful journey oa foot While the
ghost walks,"i l. e., while salaries are reg
ulsrly paid, the thespian IL equally con
tent, whether In New York or New Zea
land, bat when the bright simoleu ms"
| grow scarce his soul longs for "the Rialto'
or the Slave Market" where boarding
houses leave the latchstring out and com
forting stimulants are procurable ION his
| face"
Personal attributes and traits Of char.
acter are handled with a frankness more
apt, perhaps, than graceful Meeting a
particularly stolid and unprepossessing
person, you are requested to kick 1t and
see IL it is alive" or you will be asked If
"the door was open and the wind blew it
ins' Pronounced with due gravity OF
voice and manner these sentences will be
found most effective to inhict keen suffer
ing on sensitive natures.
1t is prudent to be certain Of your own
muscular superiority before tempting
physical repartes, otherwise you may
chance to "hear something drop" or be
done up in great shape" a process of
which the consensus of human experience
declares to be far from enjoyable.
| A "chump," derived from the Icelandic
kumbr, log is something more than a
fool and less than knave, that is to say,
the mass of stupidity is leavened with just
the merest trace Of rascality. A "gump"
is q pure idiot, allied to the more archaic
"saphead." "chuckie head" "blockhead"
and "jolter head" "Goose" and goose
cap" generally feminine, descend to us
from our grandmothers. A crank" is a
mental oddity. often Of sour temper, while
freak" Is commonly marked by physical
deformity; though latterly any form of
eccentrcity. whether of mind or body, Is
placed in the same category.
Dude" Is comparatively recent inven-
tion--st least In the popular acceptation OF
the term-and somewhat difficult of clas-
sification. A dude is not dandy; there is
nothing gallant or dashing about him.
Quite the contrary. he is soberness itself.
His dress Is correctly ugly; his manner is
unassuming, his face is set in somber mold.
PERSONAL SYNONYMS.
Your self satisfied. loquacious and harm
lessly offensive gentleman will be cata-
logued as n "smart aleck," '.pill" or a
dose" terms synonymous with the ancient
and effective 'ass," but tinctured with a
modern significance. That ravager of the
feminine heart, the ''masher." is a familiar
figure on our thoroughfares, arousing in
the minds of araver spectators sinful
dreams OF heavy boots as applied to the
anatomy OF the ogling gallant. He travels
on his shape" phrase whose fine satire
touches the very heart of personal vanity.
lie is also stuck on himself" and like
wise has 1.-The big head, aspecies of mental
dropsy which afiiots all classes and condi-
tions OF men, A bladder" Is commonly
also wind bag" the combination is also
happily designated as ''asuit of clothes and
a noise" or collar and tongue"
OF another ilk are the disreputable en-
titles known az the "fakir," the tramp"
the "rounder" and the skin" beat" or
fraud" The kicker" blood relation TO
the crank" 10 one who finds himself at
variance with the conditions Of existence.
To make a grand kick" however. ssome-
times commendable. "a proving your inde-
peudence of spirit and your resolution not
To be imposed upon.
A person who il out Of temper is said 10
be ION his ear" II he leaves your pres
ence In rage be walks Of on his ear. "
II you suspect him Of n gross perversion OF
ideas you may accuse him OF being "ot
his base" OF to add emphasis, of his ker-