The Lake Charles echo., 1894-05-04
TALK OF THE TOUT.
PECULIAR EXPRESSIONS USED oNTHs
RACE TRACKS.

white Mystigying 20 the uninlsiatea, They
Arc Easiiy Uadersto0d when Once TX
ptalaatl- sosAe ~ tl.e Phrases Are Very
scaseay aIeatsy u gngltah osisia
Race track phrases as intricate 10 tho
uninitiatod as a Fiji islander love song
arc fast creeping into all walks of life.
and the slang which makes up the vo-
cabulary og the turfman II liable 10 be
heard In the social small talk of tho
day. Ia tho rigid business house and fire.
quently In the clubs Where some of
the terms originated Ia mystery, but
the genuine tout speaks nothing else,
aud his jaEgon Ii at once interesting
and novel Nearly all Of the express
sions, like the thieves lore, probably
came from tho English courses, and the
English race going people are more fa-
miliar with Che words Of the stable boy
or lower class than the American pa
irons Of this sport Of the kings The
running track has loaned some of its
choice ones TO the trottersI and the mix
ture at the tracks where the long tailed
light harness performers win stakes and
purses is combination of later years
Tho modern tout, this genius bo-
ing ono who almost sleeps on tracks and
inparts his early morning information
10 you when half Of the winnings Of
your bet are promised him, can spin II
OF by the yard, and some Of his express
sions are indeed unique
There she goes all to pieces, he
win eSclaim as the tllly he has picked
to win suddenly wayera and begins to
fall TO the rear Ho may say something
about her shutting up like q jack
knife" as she drops into the truck, !
which name is applied to the tail end Of
the procession Should she go out of ner
proper course in running, he will in
form You that she has "bolted, and he
will call her ''bore' II she happens to
swerve against another horse, impeding
his progress II sho should have been
pulled for some reasons he had not
learned he may call her dead IN,
meaning that she was not intended to
win, but II he applies the word ''duf-
fer" to her that means she couldn't beat
anything,
On the turf the term "deadbsat'' has
two meanings II Is sometimes applied
to o horse completely exhausted and ia
always applied 10 amy man who fails
to pay his debts. In the latter sense the
turf ID no different from any other place
why, he'll lead from end to end
would signify that the animal In ques-
tion win be in front Of the others from
the start to the finish, Should another
horse como 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
IL no difference between their noses from
the stand the two are racing ''haad and
head, " II might seem to be breach Of
etiquette to hear man say that some
old horse is the i'swellest maiden" on
the track. This would indicate that the
horse is tho best one that has never won
q race
Should q track follower tell you that
he saw q certain horse out for o "pipe
opener" in the morning, but he didn' :
negotiate" WELL 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
sious for amounts of money arc ON q par
with the super" benny" 'Inush" "
and other common terms among the
light fingered gentry II run q pony
Into a century and then dropped the
whole thing trying to run II into q
monkey, " The pony IL $aa, the century
500 and tho monkey $500. should ha
have won the last bet, and the book
maker, taking time by the foreloek and
his cashbox by the handle, disappeared
without paying off, the dishonest gen
tleman would have carried the name
''weleher'' around with him the rest 81
his life The words 'einah, !" moral, 7
lead pipen and few others not unlike
them are used to indicate that horse
cannot lose unless he should fall down.
TO win hands down. is 10 reach the
wire first without effort or Tin bloody
canter, " as q track follower might OBJ,
serve in his philosophical way, And
when they say q baolSmhker-the mar
who lays odds against your Judgment
IL rounding up his book they mear
no ID Trying W bbt tllllHy Oh kulllH ApIhpl
which have not been heavily backed, q
that no matter who wins his percentage
is there Just the same
Come means d horse which ID catch
ing tho leaders vary rapidly and 'icon
ing again. means one that has don't
this then fallen hacll and suddenly
gaining courage and speed makes an
other dash for the front Should hi
jump on to the hind legs Of nna IL th'
lead he win be said to have ieut hin
down, and should horse o. jockey fal
just ID they are IN sight 0f tho moue1
somebody win probably say, He carai
down D eroppee
The vocabulary at the follower of' th
track Is quite extensive and very eaten
ing, for the pleasant little dinners afte
the derby pr handicap has been decide
arc likely TO have lots nf such axpres
sions mixed in tho idle prgttle Will
/ the Yianda llp being discussed, "a
! change