The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-01-12
Ghegfmarrat-S Star
SLANG DICTIONARY.
A Few of the Most Graphic Descriptions
Now 10 Daily Use,

Few of the Most Graphic Description
Now in Daily Use.
1t. Louis Post Dispatch.
So large a proportion of the popula
tion uses slang that Its curious term
and phrases and metaphors have be
come welded into and part and parcc
OF the current talk OF the day. What
may be called the small change of gen
erai conversation may not be perfect,
understood by all, but il has its mean
ing nevertheless, and in many in
stances is decidedly effective.
For example, take the term thus
tier so graphic and SO singularly
descriptive OF a certain kind of man,
Is there any one who can honestly say
that he does not know what a '.hus.
teri? One may condemn it as a
vulgar colloqulalism, or may use ii
with mental quotation marks, but
everybody knows what it means. In
fact. it is a very true description Of a
very common figure in the life Of a
great city. Thus it Is a word that
commands respect and cannot be put
down, however much those who are
sticklers for the swell OF English pure
and indebted" may cry out against it.
The ''hustler' is here and has come to
stay here, and without him we should
not be ''the greatest nation on top OF
this green earth"
To hunt the various slang terms in
current use down to their origin, to
trace out their pathological beginnings
would be a most wearisome and ditfi-
cult task. Most Of them have their
origin in picturesque minds, are de-
rived from nothing at all and are SIM
ply graphically descriptive.
Slang OF every sort relates solely
and simply to a condition of society
where the struggle for life is hard and
continuous, where every mar i trying
10 OutdO his neighb0r, where the
weaker 90 inevitably to the wall. For
example. there are only two terms
which describe an honest man F.: to wit.
dead square" and a dead white"
and these have been very long in use
and not likely to be superseded. On
the contrary, there are dozens Of
terms which describe ''slimy" or dis
honest men OF all sorts.
Here Is a short list OF the very latest
slang terms:
1.-THE genial" a professional appre;.
ciator, a man who laughs at every
thing. pays for nothing, and is mi
versally sympathetic.
"The hand shaker" synonymous
with genial"
"a fly fakir,"agypsy term, meaning
simply Il shrcwd, plausible and in
vcntive man. In other words, an in
genuOus liar.
"a farmer" a general slang term for
any man who does not know anything.
coming OF course from the cockncy
contempt Of the country and c untry-
men.
"A gilly" is synonymous with
"farmer."
"a lush" Is one who drinks.
"a chink" is a Cllinaman.
"a gueny" is an Italian, as is also
"a dagO."
"a mug" is any kind ofcitizen. For
some reason, to the u%neducated
tongue, the word mug" comes more
easily than man, but it has Il slightly
contemptu0us meaning.
"a con" is an Authorization OF conf
dencc man.
"a cop is a policeman, although
occasionally the En- ylish ''bobby" Is
heard.
"A scrapper" is a man who wants to
fight.
"a yap" and Jay" are synonymous
with farmer and "gilly."
A MAJ with his hand ''out" Is a beg.
gar, and "to have your hand out"
means to beg.
IAN angel is a man who innocently
backs Improbable or questionable
enterprises TO the profit Of the pro.
motors solely, OF a man who comes
suddenly to the relicfo of the indulgent.
1t Is a term of contempt.
Long green means green bills or
greenbacks.
"A wad," IA bundle and "a bunch"
all mean rolls Of green bills, hence a
"thick wad."
ITO stake and "t0 heel" mean to
lend.
$40 give a fash means to show
money.
"Togiyc up and 'to blow inn mean
to spend money.
ITO came down" means to pay.
ITO touch" is equivalent to steal,
and sometimes to borrow.
ITO Brace is to borrow.
ITO stand off, is to charge, or get
anything on credit.
well heeled" is a term borrowed
from the cock pit, and means to have
plenty Of money.
Ihcre are a great many terms for
drink and the taking thereof, such as
"Iush," booze" "a ball" and chops"
for beer, and ''red liquor" for all sorts