Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-11-13
MORTALITY OF ST5Sss,|
WORDS AND PHRASES 4A.,
 WILD AND ARE SHORT llyen RUN

From the Nonsensical Custom '''h
 The Italian method of nrosx.
 to a word to give it a damao;nsAAAn ans canoe can be employed with ae. s slgnif in christening that wayward SSoo sltect generate offspring of English l.naa aa os slang. ln it's present state aias ilowa@ has attained to such lnxurias.' pleteness that it warrants seria., com. ment So copious and oomnrsh.a' asa' k has it become that there ia haral.DaslVe hn+easlVe man want, feeling or emotioa nu. heart that cannot be translatad ;,e oa tAe yernaoular of the bootblaclr. In ,'U s,ss sls ing the philosophy of slang tba s'uoy natural query is, How and yybr 'g a,a a'st originate? To the first quest;oa 4 might give, with certain no9lifoa.. 0ls the same answer that would be ,;.s.oS ,;. tho question, Why do peonla essVA o The human animal, like 8 locomot;sTs seems to require escape valves for fs'..s oa.s sions when there is too much stooss '' the boiler When man is overAoTs;l u with admiration. anger or wondsr .l ordinary adieetiyes do not Cor ba fh;sl sle they do not meet the e1nereenov Ias Tha do not relieve his pent up fullneso sy more than q sip from dewdrop wouis queneh man $ thirst. The natural s saap and the natural woman sometimes tra relief under strong emotion in exnlov;ra utterances. In the case of anger tba os cape valve expletive is an oath nnlss. the man in question happens to ha gentleman and sometimes, thouph ,,a,n rarely, when he is.
 It will thus be seen that slang. ba;no of emotional ancestry, is first cnusie to the oath, and both are used by thosa who mentally resemble the man whoSe use of intoxicating drinks has made him forget or underestimate the attractions of pure water. Slang, in sooth, is whisky distillation of language. Iii. so strong that it may be taken only yerv rarely with impunity, and herein lies the chief danger in i's rSc. Not only does the slansl.3st 4.i-lt oH.5.I.ry EnglisI, tame, but he ends in not being able to find any English at all.
 Another fatal characteristic of slang is the very one which at first secures jtS adoption-namely, it's pungency. The same law that makes quiet colors and shades wear well i'll the world of fabrics has its counterpart in the world of speech. We tire very speedily of a start. ling costume, ill high colors, and just as speedily do we tire of slang, which is startling, high colored speech.
 Still another reason why slang can never gain Q permanent foothold in the language is its utter lack of dignity. No subject can be seriously treated in slanguage. Its sole function is to tickle by its patness or it's grotesqueness. It reflects q fugitive iridescence upon cur. rent wit and humor, as like the bub. ble catches prismastic c0lors but like the bubble, it vanishes even while you. behold it. Naturally there arc slang phrases Of all degrees of goodness and badness, ranging from the word which is only slight remove from fofcible hut perfectly decorous adjective to slang of tho most daring, deep dyed or der At oIe end of the scale, for in- stance, one might place fetching and at the other end its Superlative rum. Again, the injunction play ball" is gentle and seemlJ. in comparison witk the brusque command ''get move on. y Along certain lines the slanguist seems to reyel ill extravagant synonyms and antonyms, especially in those express ing some infrmity ill the upper story. The man who has wheels is also popularly known as "nutty, " cracked or of his trolley. Again, if he comes from the country, he is "corn raised " has seed in his hair, or his face doesn't fit him. "Gall. nerve, check. ]" sand, " brass aud face are also nearly synonymous terms for qualities whose uniyersality has made them target for popular satire. Equally prolific is the slanguist in coining terms for money Dust, tin. ' sand, '" rocks, 5 'ehinkp and '.spon dulicks" are only few of the words that translate filthy lucer. j"
 Two Of the slang phrases now in gallingly frequent use are That's right, and That won't cut much ice. The latter, it must bo confessed, has certain cool figurative qualities which give 1t a saving color of grace But most of these phrases rely chiefly upon their condensed expressiyeness, which is the trademark of their Amer ican manufacture. They are but one of the many devices of the masses to com pass q crosscut and avoid circumlocu tions. Thus "snap" and "cinch" are time economy for moneyed sinecufe and all assured competence.
 One of the surest tests of the rapid mortality of slang is the extremely pain fnl sensation produced by hearing anti quated slang phrases used--and there are always people who are two or three or ten years behind in their nse of such phrases. When other people are saying Not on your tintype," the user of mildewed slang feebly ejac' ulates 1 should smile The piquancy and patness of certain phrases make it hard to declare that slang has no legiti- mate use. But concerning it's misuse, there can hardly be two opinions among people whose opinions are worth any thing. X careful study of the qualities of men and women who habitually in terlard their remarks with slang will furnish anybody with world of con vincing conclusions in favor of pure English. h.--.Critic.
 
 The hagdsh, or myxine, has custom of getting inside the cod and similar