Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-02-04
Language of the rea.msn,-.olr.

The words and phrases in New York q
slang which are rooted in the sense Of
humor OF tn. peopla are very many.
The werd "growler" is accounted for
Id tive ways, both of which credit tine
term With Il humorous derivation. A
grower, be il known. 10 any vessel
pail. pitcher or Can-.that is sent to
the cornar saloon for tho family supply
OF lager beer. 1t is said that the word
grew out Of the protests of the girls
who did not like to be sent to the
saloons, or out of the growing" (slang
for crumhling] of the children whose
play 10 tho streets was Interrupted by
their having 70 perform similar brands.
On the other hand, the quarrelling
that followed too frequent emptyings of
the can by gangs" or social coteries
Of drinking men, is said TO have given
the beer vessel its nickname. Tho
horse. play Of the mountebanks in the
variety shows is commonly called
funny business, and the term has
now come to he applied to all rough
play frolicking, ecuilling and practical
loking-amung the inasRos. A fiimsy
excuse or transparent lilo ia called a
song and dance. - 'Why didn't you
Keep your engagement? Now don't give
me no song and Dance" is an example
OF the use OF this queer phrase. Tbs
old slang words .'cheeii" and gall
meaning aSsurance-have boon aup-
planted by tho word 'front.'" and We
hear nowadays that man who is un.
l,luehingly aadacious, assuming, or
presumtag has, not 1.-THE front of Jove
hlmself,' as Shakespeare wrote, but
Il L
house. " A tipsy man whose uncertain
locomotion carries him swaying from
side to side of tho pavement is declared
TO have '.sllata,'' or to have "hja
skates on Men who drink too much
from hitting tho bottle AT first ir
was said Of the opium smokers that
they hit" the pips-as all nine
smoEers 10. to cleanse the instrument
SO that hitting anything haH como to
signify an abuse OF tho habit with
which the article thus "hit" ia in
timately connected. 1t is humorous
cahceit that led TO tho saying, applied
TO all who are dull nr obtuse, "uo has
fog in his head" Mlth tho Same
eniFit very rich person, or one who
is prodleal with bis wealth, is said to
AaFo HuHeg 10 Dufn. 10 meet with
q cool reception ia called getting Il
frost. - To steal is IA ''pinch. +" aud to
be arrested for it is TO got punched, {"
though the genuine and general slang
phraae for getting arrested is getting
tho collar, term growing naturally
out of tho action OF an officer in
hustline an offender along with grin
upon his collar anything and evorv.
thing that ID dOnn easily or quickly is
said to be done lin walis." Mon are
said to get rich in a walk" or to win
a boat race lin walk" That is an
expression borrowed from tho turf,
which has also lent to New York tho
word ringer" perhaps tho most dihi.
cult TO explain Of all tho local slang
terms, and yet, like all slang, most
concise ard expressive to all who make
uss OF it. a ringer in slang. ia
anything that looks like What it is not !;
so that if persnn la thought 10 no.
scmhle Grover Cleveland, no is spoken
of as "a ringer on the President, or
If lie wears brilliant bit of glass, 1T
is said 10 he "a dead ringer Oh dia
mond. " Dead" signifies the utmost,
the veriest, that which ia absolute. -.
HaTner's Weekly.