The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1895-05-30
81 ORIGIN OF sLANo.:a
How Some Popular words ANA Phrases
Came Into Fscine.

This may be called In one sense Tho arc Oh
slang. But after all what il cclicd slang il.
frequently the giving Of new meaning o.
old words or the Invention OF new word
from old roots. The slancof to-Iay become.
the elegant language of tomorrow. lt 81
, Interesting % motto how many OF tho com
moncst words and phrases which wore once
regarded "a slangy and inccgant hccamo a
part Of tho polite language Of tho times,
Words, like lives, have biography, says a
writcrin the Pittsburgh Dispatch
Dun Is n word now whose meaning Is
known to every ono who understands the
English language. TO many wish thcy did
not know it, Yet AT the beginning OF tins
century II was unknown as verb. About
that Time constable In England named
John Dun became celebrated as "a first ella "a
collector Of bad accounts. when others
would fail TO collect bad debt Dun would be
sure TO get IL out Of the debtor. so well.
known did this bcromo that people from tho
surrounding country sent him their accounts
when they could not collect them. II soon
passed into a current phrase that whom a
person owed money and did not pay when
asked he would have 20 be "Duuucdr
Hence il soon became common in such cases
to say; You will have 20 Dun so.aud so "
you wish 90 collect your money"
Until the nomination Of Franklin Pierce
Tor the Presidency the word "outsidcr'i was
unknown The committee on creGcntlnla
camc In 10 make its report and could not
get INTO the hall because of tho crowd Of
people who were not members OF tho con
vontion. The chairman of tho convention
asked IL the committee was ready TO report
and the chairman Of the committee an.
sworcd; eyes, Mr. Chairman; but tho
committee ia unable 10 get inside on nc.
count OF the crowd and pressure Of thcs
outsiders The newspaper reporters, cvor
ready TO appreciate good word or phrase.
took up the word and used IL. Since then
IL has been common word and we could
not do without IL. "Boom," in its now
sense OF meaning u popular cmmor for n
man, or for any question or movement, liz a
recent word being first used as such i'm
1850 Grant was being run fora third term.
This brought out a bitter opposition. Ono
paper said the movement was like n boom
across swollen stream, taking In all that
was worth having. This gave now mean.
ing 10 the word. Since then II has been in
common use as such
"You are daisyr Is considered very
slangy by those who use IL indiscriminatelv;
and, Oftontines, II Is. But II used In tho
sense In which its inventor, IL / may so
speak Of a word, Charles Dickens, intended
II, II is good and forciblo word In david
Coppcriicld" II Is first used in tho sense OF
calling person daisy in n way to express
admiration, and, at the same time, 10 laugh
ut ones credulity. Steerforth says TO young
Copperfield: "David, my daisy, you arc 80
innocent OF the world Let me call YOU my
daisy, as II Is so refreshing 20 find one In
these corrupt days 30 innocent and unso.
phisticated. My dear CoppcrHcld, the daisies
Of tho field are not freshcr than your
Hence, when conveying the idea that a per.
son IL artless and innocent amid skoptical
and scheming condition OF society, to say,
"Sou are daisy" is not slang, II Is forcl.
bic and elegant. The same passage gave US
the other word, meaning the Same thing,
though sounding little harshor, fresh"