The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-03-23
THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE.
Peculisrities Of Speech in the United
States.

States.
Mr. T. BARON RUSSELL, IN rHs aESTLESAS's
MAGAZINE.
In these times Of six day steamers
the nations mix too freely for many
actual misunderstanding to arise as
to the Specification OF words, but II
would not be difficult to- set down a
page or two Of perfectly usual
American words which are either
not used at all in England or are
used in sense that would make
them incomprehensible in America
to FIVE Englishmen out Of six. There
are, moreover, subtle differences in
the use Of common words which
might we'll lead to error. Corn" in
America always means maize. Wheat
is distinguished as grain" To be
clever often means, especially in
New England, to be kindly or good
natured--not acute, intelligent or
smart" A person described in
America as being queer" is, not a
little "out OF Sorts" as with us, but
mildly insane. mad" of course,
usually means angry las in Acts
xvi. ny; "crazy" is the right word
for insanity. A lady who describ d
herself as knocked up" would be
thought to have indelicately con-
fessed to condition sometimes az
fecting young married women, but
not usually spoken Of. "Clear" ap.
piled to fluid means, not trans
parent, but "undiluted." "Sauce" is
used to mean vegetables in New
England. Long sauce" means car
rots, parsnips, and so on; short
sauce" signifies potatoes, turnips,
and the like. Long sweetening'
and "long sugar. mean treacle, more
usually, however, called by the cor
rect name Of molasses. A railway
sleeper is not crosstie. but sleep
ing compartment-wherein arose
the expressive proverb ITO wake up
the wrong passenger" which is the
equivalent Of our own ito have the
wrong pig by the ear" A Cracker"
is, Of course, not a firework. but q
biscuit, the last word being applied
to small loaves such as we call
French rolls. "Chores" todd jobs
in the house) often occurs in Ameri-
can books, and (as one generally
hears II pronounced by English peo.
pie with a k) il may be worth while
to mention that il Is of the same
root as our English "charwoman,' -
aud is pronounced "tshores." A
charwoman in America might proba.
bly, be a "choreslady;" there are also
"washerladies," "salesladies," "fore-
ladies" domestic helps" and" hired
girls" but no servants or women. A
despatch" is a telegram; q "dog.
gerry" or dive" is q low public house
("saloon"O; ~ hog in toys" is a Jack
in office; and "a lame duck" is a de-
faulting stockbroker. Bulls aud
bears in Wall.street are "longs" and
shorts" A "dodger" is a small cake
or biscuit, and also sometimes an
advertising handful; a "casket" is a
coffin; a "fakir" or "rrook" is a swim.
dler; gall is, not bitterness OF
nature, but impudence. "To hump
oneself is to make haste, which may
perhaps, be old. seeing that hump
Is etymologically Of the same root
as hop" In fight a "socdolager
is final Touchdown. 1t is supposed
by some to have been corrupted
humorously from "doxology," com.
ing at the end OF an encounter az
the doxology comes at the end OF
divine service. may say, however,
that ! personally suspect II Of being
Dutch in origin.
The American use OF guess" il
may perhaps be permitted me to
observe in closing, is grievously mis-.
understood by most English people
The American guesses, quite cor,
rectly, in order to draw conclusions
from imperfect evidence. He would
frequently presume" Calculate
or believe" where English writers
insist that he shall still "guess." No,
body ever heard an American say
except on the English stage, ~ guess
and calculate" The respective en-
ployment Of the words enumerated
isgoverned by perfectly clear, though
differentiated principles, aud the
expressions are certainly not incapa
bile OF defence at greater length than
! The present OpDOrtunity Darmits