Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-05-13
SOME DOG PHRASES.
Words In the Canine vernacuiay Which
Are More or Less Corrupt.

words In the canine Vernacuiay winch
Are More or Less Corrupt.
When boy in New England has
occasion to set his dog upon any
one or any thing he exclaims as q
rule ''Stig 'im!" The New York boy,
or the boy OF the West generally says
''Sic i'm! sic 'im!" TO the Western
boy the command 'Stig 'imp' sounds
absurd; it provokes his laughter; but
his own command is equally amusing
to the New England boy. This little
difference illustrates the beginning OF
local dialect. Probably neither boy
thinks OF the meaning OF what he says.
lie Is merely repeating words which
, he has heard others use. and which
he Is sure. from their frequent repe-
titlon. that the dog will understand.
The boy who is saying sic IMP is
repeating corruption. but one de-
gree removed from Seek him!" which
is very old command
'Stig i'm" is corruption one de-
gree further removed from its origin
al than sic i'm" 1t began with
take him, which was varied by the
word so before it-.'So take him."
From this to ~ take him., was an
easy step and the more easily pro-
nounced 'stig inn was the next cor
ruption.
The SOL is often used rs kind OF in
tensive expression in all sorts OF COM
mands to animals. Probably the APP
pareutly unmcaning expression which
is often used in urging on dog in the
Eastern part of the country, ''Steboy!"
is no more than greatly compressed
and corrupted form of $50 take 'em.
boy!N although Emerson seems TO
have looked upon it as an abbrevia-
ton of Hist boy!"
The farmer by the way is very
fond of calling his animals boy" He
says. whoa, boy" and go on boy"
to his horse; but it is worthy of notice
that he never calls his horse boy un.
less he feels in a good humor with it.
The word Is always to be regarded as
a compliment or expression of alice
tion.
Often the pos essor OF dog does
not use any set phrase in command
ing his animal to attack. He may say.
Catch him" or 60 for himw or
. Seize him" or anything else that he
chooses 1t is well known that the
command to attack is the one which a
dog most easily learns Almost any
thing will serve for the purpose; for
most dogs as we are truly told. de
light to bark and bite" But they also
delight to obey and no properly
trained dog will attack without COM
mand. except on his masters prem
Uses at night.
BY a seeming perversion of terms
says the Youths Companion, the COM
mand which most naturally signifies
to attack, Charge" has come to
mean just tie opposite thing. namely,
TO lie down.
Many owners OF dogs in order TO
render the animals useful to them
selves only train them to OBJ special
commands invented by the master. A
case is known in which man taught
his dog to obey in reverse order as it
were. When he said Come here!'
the dog ran away. and get outm was
his command TO the dog to approach.
No dog can be regarded as OF much
use unless he understands and obeys
at least seven commands namely:
Here" or come here" with which
every young dogs education should
begin. and which Is the most impor-
tant Of all; sic EN- or take 'em"
charge or lie down" .'heer' or
follow close behind. 'go home" get
out" and. don't touch it,"