Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-11-06
POPULAR PHRASES.
ORIGIN OF SOME OF THE CATCH
WORDS THAT EVERYBODY USES
We Have Taken Some From the English
and Invented Very Many OurseIves-Hov
We Came to Adopt Some of the Phrases
Which Are In General Use.

|
Which Are In General Use.
Mention has been recently made OF
the disputed origin of the word "tee
total" claimed by two inventors. one
living in England and the other in
America, and each of whom may have
hit upon the word independently and
for the different reasons assigned. TIC
curious minded persons who like to
know the why's, whens and wherefores
If everything the origin of popular
catchwords and figures Of speech is an
interesting subject
The word machine. as we use it po.
| !itically, is another which, like tee
total, y is Of doubtful parentage. In the
days of the old volunteer fire companies,
which in large cities were potent factors
in local politics, the phrase "to run
wit. the machine" came into common
use, and it meant that man so spoken
of was identified with the political co
terie of the fire company with which he
trained. The famous Boss Tweed began
his career in New York running with
the machine" as a volunteer fireman.
Yet the term as we now employ it was
used in England long before. The Duke
OF Wellington, in letter 10 friend in
1916 deploring the increasing influence
Of popular agitation on the action of the
houses OF parliament, said: "Such is the
operation Of the machine as now estab.
lished that no individual, be his char
hcter. conduct in antecedent circum.
stances and his abilities what they may.
can have any personal influence in gen.
eral. :" We may have derived our term
"the machine" from our old volunteer
fire company days, but in the England
of Wellington time there were no fire
companies exerting any political influ-
ence.
That much overworked word "crank"
gained universal vogue in connection
with Guiteau's assassination Of Presi-
dent G arfield, but it was long before
that applied by the late Don Piatt, who
Greeley, the purpose of it being to liken
the famous editor to the crank Of hand
organ, which is forever grinding out the
same old tunes. The word, as we have
now come to apply it, means much more
and worse. 1t implies a condition Of
mind vergipg upon insanity, and this
has given rise to the erroneous notion
that it has its origin in the German
word "krank. "
The word 'dago," now commonly
applied to Italians all over the country
came originally from Louisiana, whe.e
it at first referred only to people Of
Spanish origin, but was later applied to
Italians and Portuguese as well. The
word is a corruption of "Diego"
(James), which is common Spanish
name, San Diego being the patron saint
of the Spaniards.
Another word Of incessant employ
ment in American speech is dude"
with its feminine complement, "du.
dine. This may have come to us from
the old English word tor clothes
"duds, in earlier times spelled
"dudes. "
Thackeray writes Of one of his charac-
tiers: "Her dresses Were wonderful, her
bonnets marvellous. Few women could
boast such dudes 4" Shakespeare, in
1.-THE Merry Wives of Windsor, " writes
of "bucke Of dudes" meaning a bas-
ketful of clothes ready for washing. It's
present day literary currency dates from
February, 1876, when the word appear
ed in Putnam S Magazine. But a famous
New York clubman, Mr.. Hermann
OelrichS, claims the credit Of first start
ing II Us popular term Of contempt or
for an overdressed person. He
claims that n youth of this type who |
passed by the Union club window with |
q mincing step provoked himself and |
another clubman TO hum together an &C.
to the youth : walk, thus,
Du, da, de, Gu du, du de, " and that |
be remarked "C1ood enough; dude is
the proper name for il, - and that thus
the word was born.
The words lingo" and "jingosm"
IRE also Of disputed derivation. We all |
know about the English music hall song |
which set the word going with new
in 1877, but the original coin |
age of the term "By jingo" is quite
doubtful. In the Basque language the
word lingo means God, and it is widely |
that by Jingol" was a form
IF oath with which the Basque sailors
fam1liarized the English sailors and,
through them all English speaking peo
pie. But others believe the word is a
of St. Gingoulph. 1t is one
If the oddities Of popular matchmaking
hat the term 'jingoism, as now used.
is complete travesty of the sentiment
If the song from which it was taken. A
lingo, either in England or America. is
low set down as man spelling for a
light, eager for war at any cost. But the
original music hall song, with the lingo
chorus, expressed exactly the opposite
desire for peace 1t b gan
With I've don't want TO fight, and its
iercest war note was struck in the dec
aration that if they had to do what they
would rather not, they had plenty Of
men, ships and money.
Speaking of Brother Jonathan,
here is no doubt about its origin.
When General Washington went to Mas
achusetts TO take command of the Revo-
utipnarv army he foupd a oroot lax 90