The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-27
"FANCY MEETING YOU"
What AngIOmaniacs Mean When
They Use the Latest LOndOnism.
From tbe london Mali

What AnsIOmaniacs Mean When
They Use the Latest LOndOnism.
From the London Mali.
\ Daily Mail representative was on the
outside of an omnibus in the Strand re-
Gently
Now then" said the coachman to the
driver of a crawling hanson that was in
the way, 'igher up with that founder, if
you please"
The cabman looked up from his perch
as the bus went by. He made no rude re-
ply. He merely assumed an appearance of
contemptuous surprise, and said: Fancy
meeting your with the accent on the
you"
The Daily Mail representative recogniz-
ed that he was in the presence of the new
street gag. He recalled that on several
previous occasions he had heard people say
to one anothe: Fancy meeting you" But
until now he had regarded the phrase as
a eolloquial version of Il am really
charmed to meet you,'' just as in the ear
iy days of Now We shan't be long he
had regarded it in the light OF It's restrict
ed literal meaning of there will be little
further delay" 1t takes a street gag a
NOR only comes with reiteration. He had
heard Fancy meeting you" many times,
but had never realized before that the
words carried with them any other than
their face meaning.
Fancy meeting your" Inquiries in sew
eral learned quarters revealed the fact
that the phrase has been establishing it.
self for quite a long time. Like most
other popular catch phrases 1t is a music
hall
which it was the title and the burden 1t
held up its head in one or two provincial
pantomimes a year ago. Since then ii
has been gradually making its way in
London.
In a few months more it will probably
have taken complete possession of the
town. Now we shant be long" is worn
out. on its last legs To use the express
sion anywhere within the metropolitan
police district is nowadays to brand one
self as a person hopelessly behind the
times. 1t may survive for a time in
strongholds of the older fashions-cathe-
dral cities and places like Oakham and
Huntingdon and Bedford, Park But
where the pulses beat fast, and life is
lived and quick intellects respond to the
newest phases of thought, to say Now
We shan't' would be to risk being counted
a fogy. The expression has had its day.
The world has gone on remorseleSsly re-
voluting, and fancy meeting you" has ar
rived.
Fancy meeting your The phrase
grows on you. 1t has the terrible merit
of meaning nothing and yet meaning
everything that mere language fails to
convey.
Fancy meeting your You can speak
it so that it may convey an insult. a pro-
test, remonstrance. a compliment, in
credulous surprise, establishment. admoni-
ton, an affirmative a negative, an accept
ance, refusal, a promise of subsequent
consideration anything, or nothing, or ev-
erything. When the new County Council
has its first meeting members will say to
one another, Fancy meeting your by
way of mutual congratulation Mr..
Chamberlain will only have to say. Fan
cy meeting you by way of contemptuous
reply to some absurd little Englandism of
Sir William Harcourt housemaid to
whom the butchers boy has addressed
some facetious compliment will saw.
Fancy meeting you" by way of express
ing her desire that he should go along
with such impertinence. Fancy meeting
your