The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-18
Slang of High Degree.
From the Kansas City Star.

The present age has a tendency toward
sacrificing elegance for aptness il its daily
| conversation, and this gives rise to many
popular expressions not III accordance with
the rules or books OF the wise mon. which
are known as slang. The word slang is of
obscure origin, probably coming to us from
the gypsies.
'slang>whangern is a noisy, turbulent
fellow, whose language is not of the best,
and slang itself is generally considered dis
reputable. But there are qualities, classes,
distinctions and differences even in slang.
There is the low, vulgar slang, whose origin
is IN obscurity and whose use is among the
vicious and degraded. Above this is the
dictionary slang Of known pedigree and
traced descent often classical
"High-toned" is an expressive term
which precise people generally walk around.
1t means 'nobly elevated" especially in
character, and was coined by Sir Walter
Scott. Similar 10 it are the upper tom
and upper crust" meaning the higher
classes of society, which are said in the
dictionary to be Americanisms, colloquial
and low, the former being contracted from
upper ten thousand" and the latter carry
ing with 1t the suggestive superiority Of
!. the fancy top crust of pie.
The "brick" is a merry citizen, rarely one
OF the upper ten" and usually a grade or
two below the upper crust' In social
standing, but he bears his mediocrity
lightly, and laughs his CHEEKY way through
the world, often enjoying mora than his
stiff starched superiors. He is a jolly good
fellow and never lacks friends. w. NJ
Thackeray first used the word in the SEN
tence, He's dear little brick" "a brick
in his hat" is an expression applied to an in
toxlcated person, probably from the fact
that in that condition his head feels as
heavy and useless as a brick would be il
worn in the hat.
''Ihe dickens" does not come from the
name of the genial novelist, but is a con-
traction of devikins, dimlnutive of devil,
and therefore only polite way of saying
1.-THE devil" Webster calls it vulgar in
PERFECTION. ITO play the deviln means to
interfere with IN q ruinous way or to initiate
the evil one, and this expressions is given
in solemn seriousness by the stad old do
tlonary without any sign of disap2roba-
ton, from which it may be concluded it is
good English, although it would not add to
the elegance of drawipg-room conversation.
John Russell Bartlett, in his dictionary
of American isms, is authority for the state
ment that ION his own hook" means by HIM
self or on his own responsibility, and John
Milton, stately and ponderous, is accused of
having originated the phrase ''by hook or
crook, which means in any way or by any
method, and it is in this way that Ameri-
cans are accused of obtaining the almighty
dollar" this last being an expression
fathered by Washington Irving, which is
SO ept that 1t has had large use.
The modern use Of the word traits" as an
interjection can hardly be explained. Some
times it expresses incredulousness, aad is
uttered disdalnfully just after the climax of
an exaggerated statement. Sometimes it is
used to express disgust, and if rightly pro-
nounced is effective. It's use as noun has
place in the dictionary of slang as one
who deserts his party or associates, among
printers one who works at less than estab-
lished rates.
Lord Stanhope. also known as Lord
Mahon, an English statesman and historian
who died in 1875, gives this interesting his
tory concerning it: ut CHANGED that not
long after the accession Of the House of
Hanover some Of the brown, that is the
German or Norway rats, were first brought
over TO this country lin some timber, it is
SAID. and being much stronger than the
black or, till then, the common rat, they
In many places quite extirpated the latter.
The word Doth the noun and verb to rat
was first, as we have seen, levelled at the
converts to the government Of George l.,
hut has, by degrees, obtained wider mean
ing, and comes to be applied to any sudden
and mercenary change in politics"
In the book Of Job, the oldest literature
extant, and according to John j Ingalls,
''the highest production Of the human inte
lect," appears the sentence: II am escaped