The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-05-25
VOCABULARY OF THE "TOUT."

the uninitiated as Fiji islanders love
song, are fast creeping into all walks
of life, and the slang which makes up
the vocabulary of the turfman is liable
to be heard in the social Small talk of
the day, in the rigid business house,
and frequently in the clubs. Where
some of the terms originated is a mys-
terry, but the genuine ''tout" speaks
nothing else, and his jargon is at once
interesting and novel. Nearly all of
the expressions, like the thieves lore,
probably came from the English
courses, and the English race-going
people are more familiar with the
words of the stable boy or lower class
bettor than the American patrons of
this sport of the kings The running
track has loaned some of its choice
ones to the trotters and the mixture
at the tracks where the long-tailed
light-harness performers win stakes
and purses is combination of later
years.
The modern ''tout," this genius be-
ing one who almost sleeps on tracks
and imparts his early morning infor7
nation to you when half of the win
nings of your bet are promised him,
can spit it off by the yard. and some of
his expressions are indeed unique. !!
There she goes all to pieces" he
will exclaim as the flly he has picked
to win suddenly wavers and begins to
fall to the rear. He may say some
thing about her shutting up like
jack-knife'' as she drops into the
''ruck," which name is applied to the
tail end of the procession. Should she
go out of her proper course in running
he will inform you that she has
"bolted," and he will cali her 'bore"
if she happens to swerve against an
other horse impeding his progress If
she should have been pulled for some
reasons he had not learned he may call
her dead 'un," meaning that she
was not intended to win, but if he ap-
plies the word ''duffer" to her that
means she couldn't beat anything.
On the turf the term dead beat
has two meanings 1t is sometimes
applied to a horse completely ex-
hausted and is always applied to any
man who fails to pay his debts In the
latter sense the turf is no different
from any other place.
'Why, he'll lead from end 10 end"
would signify that the animal in ques-
ton will be in front of the others from
the start to the finish. Should another
horse come up suddenly and dispute
every inch of the way the newcomer
is said to challenge" the other and
when he arrives alongside of him and
there is no difference between their
noses from the stand and the two are
racing ''head and head" 1t might
seem to be breach of etiquette to hear
a man say that some old horse is the
''swellest maiden" on the track. This
would indicate that the horse is the
best one that has never won a race.
Should track follower tell you that
he saw certain horse out for "pipe
opener" in the morning, but he didn't
negotiate" we'll, he is intending to
convey the information that in the
morning exercise the horse would not
jump or run we'll
The betting terms on the track are
quite amusing and some of the express
sions for amounts of money are on
par with the ''super," benny" ''mush"
and other common terms among the
light-fingered gentry 81 run a pony
into century and then dropped the
whole trying to run it into monkey"
The pony is twenty-five dollar, the GEN.
tury one hundred dollars and the
monkey five hundred dollars Should
he have won the last bet and
the bookmaker, taking time by
the forelock, and his cash-box by
the handle, disappeared without paying
off, the dishonest gentleman would
have carried the name "welcher"
around with him the rest of his life.
The words ''sinch" moral "lead
pipe" and few others not unlike them
are used to indicate that horse cannot
lose unless he should fall down.
To win ''hands down" is to reach the
wire first without effort, or sin bloody
canter," as track follower might OBJ
serve in his philosophical way. And
when they say bookmaker, the man
who lays odds against your judgment,
is rounding" up his book they mean
he is trying to get money on some
horses which have not been heavily
backed so that no matter who wins his
percentage is there just the same.
Come means horse which is CATCH
ing the leaders very rapidly and ''com.
ing again" means one that has done
this, then fallen back and suddenly
gaining courage and speed makes an
other dash to the front. Should he
jump on to the hind legs of one in the
lead he will be said to have 'cut him
down." and should horse or jockey fall
just as they are in sight of the money
somebody will probably say, she came
down a cropper."
The vocabulary of the follower of the
track is quite extensive and very catch
ing, for the pleasant little dinners after
the derby or handicap has been decided
are likely to have lots of such express
sions mixed in the idle prattle while
the viands are being discussed.
Free Press.
The Dead sea has been long sup
posed to be destitute of all animal and
plant life. NJ. Bortet has found. how
organisms of many species, some OF
which quickly produce fatal results
when introduced into the blood. and
that the river Jordan, popular bath
ing place with pilgrims, is so full of
these organisms as to be absolutely un-
fit even for bathing.
-Justice-''How do you explain your
being found inside Col Ginger's chick
en- coop last night?" Jackson-"De
trufe is, jedge. made all my arrange
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