The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-08

AhN view 1O&A sun uIGEI the tdkN
Charles A. Dana was the great author
ity on purity in the English language.
although IL was tolerant of words and
phrases with which Americans had en-
beilished the vocabulary. II is not liv-
ing UP TO that high standard now. but
finds an excuse for expressions which
have no justification In grammar and
are not distinctiveiy American. Fol-
lowing out a custom OF many~years. by
which the Sun was always appealed TO
as the champion OF correct speech, a
correspondent wrote 10 ask il 10 take
UP It's cudgels against the growing use
Of the negative phrase II don't think
after a previous negative, such as ITS
not going to rain today, don't think"
Instead of responding to this request.
the Sun condones IL.
II says il is unable to feel any deep
hostility To the apparent double mega
tive. 1t attributes the second negative
TO modest qualification of the dogma
tism Of the first. Were the subject any
should feel disappointed; b,Ii. a long ex-
perience with the necessity Of qualify
Ing every prediction concerning the
weather makes us lenient 10 any ex-
preston which enables man to say
One thing and mean another SO that he
can hedge, as he usually has 10. When
a man says IT'S not going 10 rain to-
day. don't think" he is In a good po-
sition To claim that he was right what
rain. he may claim TO be right by use OF
a colloquiaiism. and If 1t do rain, he
can fall back upon the correct gram
natical construction of his sentence.
OF itself. II is a most inelegant ex-
preston. Some OF our double negatives
and some of our redundancy are due
TO a desire for emphasis, but no such
excuse justifes this sentence which is
only an adaptation of the slang express
don't think" Up at Skagway last year
a man threatened another Il won't do
a thing TO YOU" which he rightly inter
preted to be u threat of bodily harm,
but the impromp,u court before which
the case was heard was great on gram
mar and discharged the prisoner on the
technical ground that when a man said
Il won't do thing TO YOU" it was an
assurance that he would not be guilty
OF breach OF the peace. This is a very
serious matter. \ man ought to be pro-
tected against misuse of the American
language. There was a form OF this
same expression in popular use in Eng
land a few years ago. 1t arose during
Il row on race course. where a man
was accused of swindling. There was
pond near by, and somebody, anxious
t. take n part in the proceedings. but
a. the same time desiring 10 shield him
self from The charge Of melting "a mob.
shouted. Don't dqck him; don't duck
him. The mob caught at the sugges-
ton and the offender was promptly
ducked. With that keen sense OF humor
which oharacterixes the common peo-
pie. they took TIP the notion and 50 sug-
gested the idea OF mot doing thing"
to anybody.
We have had quite a long rest from
these popular fancies. Pull down
your vest" and Keep or your shirt"
and Come of the perch each had its
day and vas tolerated in circles where
better taste might have been expected.
Il amt got no kick coming was form
Of expressing satisfaction which was
long popular but dld not impress itself
on the bon ton. but it survived in the
verb TO kick" and the nominat!ye
kicker" which threaten 10 form =
permanent part Of our vocabulary.
The mysteries Of popular speech are
beyond the reach II grammarjana.
They defy all rules ana spring up no.
body knows how Popular expressions
ID not always have the same fate.
Laughing in ones sleeve" has survived
and become a part II polite speech. but
talking through Your hat" has already
passed into dcsuetuae.