The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-04
CURRENT sLANGUAGE.
The Person Who Uses Slang Finds
Good Language Tame and Feeble.

Good Language Tame and Feeble.
Ellen Burns In the Critic.
The italian method of prefixing an to
a word to give it a damaging significance
can be employed with good effect in chris
tening that wayward and degenerate Off
spring of English known as slang In its
present state, slanguage has attained to
such luxurious completeness that, it war
rants serious treatment. So eopious and
comprehensive has Il become that there
is hardly human want, feeling or emo
ton of the heart that cannot be translated
into this vernacular of the bootbIack. In
studying the philosophy of slang the first
natural query is, How and why did il orig
mate? To the first question one might
give, with certain notifications, the same
answer that would be given to the ques-
ton, Why do people swear? The human
animal, like a locomotive, seems to re-
quire escape-valves for occasions when
there is too nlpch steam in the boiler.
When man is overfiowing with, .admira-
ton, anger or wonder, the fofditfary adj
jectives do not Cor he thinks they do not)
meet the emergency. They do not relieve
his pent-up fullness any more than a sip
from a dewdrop would queneh a mans
thirst. The natural man and the natural
woman some times find relief under Strong
emotion in explosive utterances. In the
case of anger, the eseape-valye expletive
is an oath, unless the man in question
happens to be a gentleman, and sometimes,
though very rarely, when he is,
1t will thus be seen that slang, being Of
emotional ancestry, is first cousin to the
oath, and both are used by those who men
tally resemble the man whose use of in
toxicating drinks has made him forget or
underestimate the attractions of pure wa
ter. Slang, In sooth, is whisky distilla-
ton of language. 1t is so strong that it
may be taken only very rarely with inn
punity. And herein lies the chief danger
in it's use. Not only does the slanguist
find ordinary English 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 its
adoption-namely, its pungency. The same
law that makes quiet coloTs and shades
wear we'll in the world of fabrics has its
counterpart in the world of speech. We
tire very speedily of startling costume,
in high colors, and just as speedily do we
tire of slang, which Is startling, high-col-
ored speech.
Still another reason why slang can never
gain a permanent foothold in the Ian
guage is its utter lack of dignity No
subject can be seriously treated in SLAM
guage. It's sole function is to tickle by its
patness or it's grotesqueness. 1t reflects
a fugitive iridescence upon current wit
and humor, as the bubble catches prls-
matte colors; but like the bubble, il van
ishes even while you behold 1t. Naturally
there are slang phrases of all degrees of
goodness and badness ranging frefn the
word which is only slight removed from
a forcible but perfectly decorous adjec-
tive, to slang of the most daring, deep
dyed order. AT one end of the scale, for
instance, one might place Fetching" and
at the other end its super-superlative
rum Again, the injunction play balP'
Is gentle and eeemly, in comparison with
the brusque command "get move on"
Along certain lines the slangeist seems to
revel in extravagant synonyms and an
tonyms, especially in those expressing
some infirmity in the upper story. The
man who has wheels is also popularity
known as "nutty," Cracked" or "off
his trolley" Again, if he comes from the
country he is "corn-raised," has seed in
his hair" or his face doesn't lit him."
"Gall'' NERVE" cheek" sand, ."
brass and face" are also nearly synon-
ymous terms for qualities whose univer-
salty has made them target for popu-
lar satire Equally prolific is the slang
geist in coming terms for money. Dust"
Tin" sand" "rocks," "chink," and
"spondulicks' are only few Of the words
that translate "ilthy lucre." Two Of the
slang phrases now in gallingly frequent
use are, that's right" and that WON'T
cut much ice" The latter, 1t must be
confessed, has certain cool figuratiYe quail
tiles which give IL saving color of grace.
But most Of these phrases rely chiefly up
on their condensed expressiveness, which
is the trademark OF their American, man
ufaeture. They are but one Of the many
devices of the masses TO compass cross
cut and avoid circumlocumons. Thus,
SNAP" and "cinch" are time economy for
a moneyed sinecure and an assured COM
petence.
One of the surest tests Of the rapid NOR
tally OF slang is the extremely painful
sensation produced by hearing antiquated
sling phrases used-aGd there are always
people who are two, or three, or ten years
behind in their use Of such phrases. When
other people are saying mot on your tim
type" the user of widowed slang feebly
calculate IT should smile" The piquancy
and patness of certain phrases make II
hard to declare that slang has no legiH-
mate use. But concerning it's misuse, there
can hardly be two opinions among people
whose opinions are worth anything. A
careful study Of the qualities OF men and
women who habituaily interiard their re-
marks with slang Will furnish anybody
with a world Of convincing conclusions in
favor Of pure English