The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-17

is due to the ineradicable desire Of certain
worthy persons 10 impress upon their fell
lows In parlor cars and steamer smoking
rooms correct ideas as to the proper tenn
~perature OF baths. The spirit Of proselytism
has curious survivals.
Another excellent set OF persons, but to
our mind not too inspiriting, is occupied
with the defence OF the English language.
These bodyguards or Beefeaters OF English
rally around It just as heroically as the
Hon. jon BAILEY OF Cooke county, Texas.
rallies around the Constitution. Some OF
these soldiers OF synta1 fortify themselves
behind those ramshackle bulwarks. The
English grammars. Up comes o word or a
phrase which they don't like the looks OF.
It is received, but not discouraged, by n ire
mendous FIRE Of popguns. The English
language Is scandalously ~ungrateful to Its
champions. 1t walks right over them. 1t
insults their sensitive ears with base oollo-
Quial expressions, 1t is what 1t is, glad OF
1t, and doesn't care q rap what anybody
thinks or says about IL.
Like almost everybody else who does us
the favor of sending us opinions about Eng
lish, the Earnest Peruser is purely subject
I've in his notions and criticisms. He likes
gotten" better than got" Let him use
"gotten +" then and DO happy in his power.
Either is perfectly good. Gotten" 10 the
favorite form in the King James Bible.
"got" in SHAKESPEARE. 1t has seemed to
us that there has been in the last few years
o deliberate effort to revive and prefer
gotten" Children who are brought up to
say gotten" will do so insttnctively, and
there will be no affectation about 1t, but the
person who uses the longer form should not
get on stills on that account. Got" is at
least as good; 1t is probably used by the
majority Of English-speaking people, and
it recommends itself by It's shortness.
But had got" and had gotten are usu-
ally superfluous. according to the Earnest
Peruser. Then he doesn't have to use them.
If we were he. however. we wouldn't bet
too high on this superfulty. Nothing is
superfluous that Is in good use. The verb
ITO get lie a tough old verb, and has been a
verb of all work for hundreds of years.
Such %pleonastio expressions as "have got"
are firmly rooted in English. and are con
stantly used not only by the best speak
ers and writer's but by everybody, save the
serious souls that seek to make the
language over, and are not content to 40
cept it as It is.
When SHAKESPEARE says what a beard
hast thou got" when the Bible says Take
the girdle that thou hast got" when the Ear
nest Peruser in o moment when instinct has
got the better of theory says I've got
a bad cold" the "got" is superfluous only In
the view Of pedantio grammarians. The
phrase is sound and strong, and 1t comes
naturally to the lips. But II any brother
feels hurt by that got, IL he feels that it
is a sinful waste Of language, may he have
to refrain; but, mind you, he
can't pass a prohibitory law on the subject.
II he goes to a baseball game and seeks to
encourage a runner he can say, II he
chooses, "Run, CASEY. you must go" but
his voice will be drowned IN the general
howl of "Run, CASEY, you've got to CO."
the grammarian has disap-
but no doubt the contempla-
lion Of his own superiority consoles his
hours.
And now we are well-nigh done. The
Earnest Peruser would translate Psalm
70, 2: My steps had well-nigh slipped" by
My steps had almost or very nearly slip
ped" For BEATRIoE's "They swore that you
were well-nigh dead for me" the Earnest |
Peruser would read, "They swore that you
were nearly dead for me-" The Bible and |
Shakespeare being "~antiquated," well
nigh" is Anticipated, too. But asst appears
THE Sun it cannot be antiquated. It was
good in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth CEN
turies. 1t is good now. The Earnest Peruser
doesn't like 1t. There are good men who |
don't like cheese. and yet a million Welsh |
will be hunted down tonight.