St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-17
SLANG, NEW AND OLD.
Variety of Expressions Coined b.
Master Minds of Literature.

Master Minds OF Literature.
The present age has tendency to-
ward sacrificing elegance foFaptness in
its daily conversation, and this gives
rise to many popular expressions not
in accordance with the rules of books
OF the wise men, which are known as
slang. The word slang is of obscure
origin, probably coming to us from the
gypsies, according to the Kansas City
Star.
A Slangwhanger Is noisy, turbulent
fellow whose language is not of the best.
and slang itself is generally considered
dfSreputable. 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 de-
graded. 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 TO it are
upper ten" and "upper crust" mean
Ing the higher class of society, which
are said in the dictionary to be A mer-
icaniSms, cOlloquial and low. the former
being contracted from upper ten thou
sand," and the latter carrying with it
the suggestive superiority of the fancy
top crust of pie.
The ''brick'' is 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 me
diocrlty lightly, and laughs his CHEEKY
way through the world, often enjoying
more than his stiff-starched superiOrs.
He is a jolly good fellow, and never
lacks friends. w. NJ. Thackeray first
used the word in the sentence, He's a
dear little brick" "a brick in his hat"
is an expression applied to an intoxicat-
ed person, probably from the fact that
in that condition his head feels as heavy
and useless as brick would be if worn
in the hat.
THE dickensn does not come from
the name of the genial novelist, but is a
contraction of devilkins, diminutive Of
devil, and therefore only a polite Sun
day school sort of way Of saying "the
devil" Webster calls it a vulgar inter
lection. ITO play the deviP' means to
interfere with in a rulnous way or to
initiate the evil one, and this expression
is given solemn seriousness by the
staid old dictionary without any sign of
disapprobation, from which it may be
concluded it is good English. aithou gh
it would not add to the elegance of
drawing-room conversation.
john Russell Bartlett, in his "Dic-
tiOnary Of Americanisms," is authority
for the statement that ION his own
hook' means by himself, or on his OWL
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. ana it is in this way that
Americans are accused of obtaining the
almighty dollar" this last being an eX-
preston fathered by Washington r.
wing. which is SO apt that it has had
large use.
The modern use of the word traits"
as all interjection can hardly be eX
planned. Sometimes it expresses in
RIGHTEOUSNESS, and is uttered diSdain-
fully just after the climax of all eXag-
gerated statement. Sometimes it is
pronounced is effective. Its use as a
noun has place in the dictionary of
slang as one who deserts his party or
associates, among printers one who
works at less than established rates.
Lord StanhOpe, also known as Lord
Mahon, an English statesman and his
torian who died in 1875, gives this in
tereSting history concerning it: sit
Glanced that not long after the access
sion of the House of Hanover some of
the brown, that is. the German and Nor
way rats, were first brought over to this
country lin some timber, it is saidl. and
being much stronger than the black, or,
till then. the common rat, they in many
places quite eXtirpated the latter. The
word (both the noun and the verb to
rat was first, as we have seen, leveled
at the converts to the governm emf of
George l., but has by degrees, OBJ
tanned wider meaning, and come to
be applied to any sudden and mercenary
change in politics.
In the Book of Job, the oldest litera-
ture extant, and, according to John }.
ingalls,, 1.-THE highest production of the
human intellect" appears the sentence:
Il am escaped with the skin of my
teeth" which is moderniZed ''by the
skin of my teeth and gives the idea Of
narrow escape, one so close as to be
just by the thickness of the skin of the
teeth, which is so thin that no Micro
scopist has yet been able to find it. ITO
cast in the teeth'' means to throw de-
fiant reproaches or insults spitefully, as
one would cast stone at the exposed
teeth of snarling dog. "Tooth and
nail'' denotes the manner of an action
full of frenzied fury, tvpified by biting
and scratching. as when two bellIgerent
cats make the fur fly.