The National tribune., 1895-12-05


s*s
The "Magpie" combination-bIae<-a
white-is as popular this season as it always is
We all read the advertisements in the maga-
zines, and there is no denying it. We know
some Of the trade rhymes and notices by heart,
and have learned to look every week or month
for the prety girls jolly babies or stylish young
men who are pictured as enjoying and praising
the soaps. chocolates, perfumes, and all the
hOurishing manufactures. The pictures are
quite as fine any in the magazine proper.
Sometimes the girls are extremely pretty, we'll
bred, and stylish looking, and we wonder who
the originals may be. illustrating for adver-
tisements is one of the most profitable sources
of revenue to young artists all over the coun-
try, and they probably find models among their
friends and acquaintances.
In glancing over the advertisements in an
English magazine one is at first disappointed
because there so few good pictures, and then
one becomes interested in the wording of the
paragraphs. Entirely different words and
phrases are used from those to which we are
accustomed, and this is probably as good an in
speech in the two countries. They use " frill-
imgs" where we say "ruffiings." and a Iady's
high shoe is called boot with Them with US
it is almost invariably called shoe. They
advertise "Smart frocks," where our clothiers
would say Stylish dresses" Frequently with
them cloak is mantle" while we almost
abandon that word entirely. "Rnickers" is a
common term with them; the whole
word "Knickerbockers." A "KnoekabOut
suit" is as good term as our "Outing" or
Every y-day," and where they say brooches" we
more carelessly say pins, or at the most breast
pins. Their soaps save Z" "Labour," with Z" ("
and their perfumes are odOrous, their firms
honourable, which lavish use of the letter
~" does not suit US. Digestive bread {"
is advertised. and their jewellers have
"Jam spades; but, then. ours want to sell
"F Food pushers," and it's easier to imagine
what jam spade" is than Food pusher"
They use "shop" rather than "store," and are
fonder of the word Tidy" IAN we are. One
dyer and cleaner says: "Tne most elaborate
costume need not be unpicked to be cleaned"
"Unpieked" seems a very heathenish word
for ripped or taken apart, and though we can
admire most of their words, this one we will
leave entirely TO them. None Of our milliners
would think to advertise their hats as being
Useful" but our moro practical English
women are appealed to on that score
Their advertisements for funds for homes
for lost dogs look odd to US, who are perhaps
more ard-hearted with our CANNES. Another
fancy they have is for pcturing bald and semi
bald ladies with Somebody's patent adjustable
coils and frizzes. the lady being pictured in
the various stages of her eoidure with most
gruosome realism. They 60 as far as any of
our merchants ever did in their methods for
obtaining notice. One maker OF serge costumes
says:
"Thesc costumes are made of serge, the
same quality as that worn by Miss Booker at
the time of her rescue from the Elbe, and sold
at Is, Cd. dress length. They are trimmed
with bold silk and supplied complete for the
ridiculous price of los, 6d-"
But enough of their advertisements and their
English. Some of their words are much pref
tier aud more exact than ours. while others
are exceedingly unpleasant / guess We all
can pay more attention to our yocabularies
with profit
ELSIE PoMERoY McELRoY.