Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-04
REGARDING cUss WORDS.
Ridiculous Ingenuity Of Nan in Dsvisins Some
Of Them.
Chicago Daily Inter Ocean)

That Americans and English should
swear is inevitable. Our Anglo-Saxon
race is VIGOROUSLY the most profane on
earth; it has been so ever since the
days of it's foundation by the fusion of
the SaxOns with the Norman conquer
ors. 1t is recorded that the Saxons
were astonished at the strength and
profuseness of Norman profanity, but
that they proceeded to add it to their
vocabulary without loss of time So
much for the beginning. Chaucer
leaves the declaration that in his time
swearing was practiced by every one
high or low, both sexes alike. Num-
berless records show that the custom
had become anything but obsolete at
the time of Elizabeths jolly reign. 1t
was during that period OF history, per-
haps. that men and women took to
swearing by single details of the body
CT the crucified Christ Wounds, blood.
sides, death. heart, nails, foot, We're
made the Oaths that are now to be con-
sidered characteristic of the Elizabeth
an age. The words were prefaced by
the possessive's-as 'sblood. sdeath
snails-in abbreviation for Gods blood
Gods death, Gods nails. Gods
wounds was amalgamated into
POUNDS. an exclamation still preserv
ed in the tank melodrama and a Ger
tain stilted species of so-called litera-
ture. The ejaculation nowadays is
put into the mouth of the villain as
the expression of his chagrin at the
first indication of the approach of his
deserved downfall; it's use is accom-
panied with gesture and stage business
indicative of frightened confusion.
1t is not to be inferred from the free
dom of their indulgence in profanity that
our British ancestors We're an ungodly
people. Their Continental neighbors.
while perhaps not addicted to the habit
of cOnsigning things to the realm of ever
lasting blazes. and certainly not possess
ing an objurgative vocabulary as rich and
varied as that of the English. used the
name of the Almighty with the utmost
fact.
Is it to be regarded as sacrilege? No
When the German lady eXclaims. Herr
Gott'-"Mr. God''-she means no irrever-
declares that God knows that the picture
is beautiful. Such linguistic usages are
simply habits that do not happen to OPP
pose national prejudice. The name is 50
commonly used in the romance languages
that their ordinary farewell is a commit
tai to divine protection. "Adios,' says
se in GOA IS the fHr direct Thor
latiOn. Italians have it. 'Addio.' and
the French, "Adeu.' adopted into Eng
lish, is used million times day without
thought of the sentiment and beauty OF
it's Significance.
The French are subject to frequent
spasms of Indignation. and of these they
readily relieve themselves through the
medium of expressions, which strike the.
English speaker as most hopelessly unit
for the purpose. One of the old English
poets. incidentally expressing his nations
well-known opinion of French valor and
'Tis strange the French prove.
When they take to aspersing,
SO inferior to us in the science of cursins.
Kick a Frenchman downstairs
How absurdly he swears,
And how odd It's to hear him.
When beat to jelly.
Roar out in passion: blue
DEATH" and blue Belly"'
"Morbleu." and "Ventreblue." were the
explosives which the old rhymester trans
lated literally. They should not be trans.
lated it is an injustice. The weight of
blue" in these words, and .sacrebleu
and "corbleu," seems to be known and
movable only to the French themselves
Others should not make French profanity
ridiculous by trying to find 1t out py
means of translation.
National "cuss'' words might make an
interesting bit of study, but it could not
very well be carried on Ill tilS couHt!y:
There is a reason Every foreigner landed
at Castle Garden abandons his ancestral
forms of blasphemy in favor OF the
American system just as soon as atten-
ton and practice will enable him to effect
the change. Immigrants who cannot
speak or understand a word else OF Eng
fish can damn each other most credit
ably. 1t is to be added that the lower
classes of them quickly add to this
knowledge list of terms expressive OF
the disgusting and the obscene;
Everybody has seen those felioWs VINO
are always in danger of forgetting them
selves in the presence of ladies. Such
fellows are nothing more or less IMAM
victims of brains trained to translate