Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-05-05

tionary, and are good words for use in
treatment of technical subjects, in
their proper places, nobody will doubt,
but that they are in common, or even
occasional use, in ordinary converse
ton, or that their use would imply
anything like good taste, nobody dare
affirm. The use OF any one of these
words would cause quite as much con-
sternation and rustling OF dictionary
leaves, though in smaller sphere OF
course, rs did the launching forth OF
such obscure words as usufruct" and
innocuous dessuitude," in state
paper, all over the country, by the
late lamented Grover Cleveland, when
his opinions had some weight.
The definition of each word in the
above list is given to show what ordin-
airy fellows they are when stripped of
their sonorous aspirates and are severed
from their aristocratic lineage. If we
cannot find synonyms for all of them
there are enough good English words
to express their meaning without get
ting on stills to reach them. Here are
the definitions:
a, Shaped like sword.
n, a low outwork, formerly used to
cover face OF a revelin or demilune and
sometimes the bas:ion shoulders, in mil
itary defenses.
3 n. The smallest pig in a litter. A
milkpail.
A n, A deputy; the substitution of
one thing for another.
3 n, The clearing up of something
| obscure or unknown.
~, A kind of gum resin.
Z ~, A thin fabric of silk and worsted
used for women's dresses, wells, etc.
n, branching chandelier; cam
delabrum.
9 a, Belonging to the earth.
10 n, A thousand.
IL u, A reaction motor.
- u, A lake.
10 n, A joint in the hind legs of
quadrupeds.
II n, Butter that has been clarified
by boiling or heating and skimming I'M
til it has become liquid
10 n, a BLUSH white translucent opal
with redish reflection.
l6 n, A little island, especially in
| river
II n, Accustomed mildness or gentle.
ness.
IS n, An ornament OF the Doric
| freize.
10 n, A shock (shaggv) dog.
20 o, To soil, to daub.
An anecdote will serve to illustrate
the force and power and true eloquence
embodied in the short expressive words
with which our language is so richly
endowed. A woman in court stated
her case with so much precision and
clearness that after she had won her
contention the Judge asked where had
she been educated. Educated" she
exclaimed, never have been educat-
| ed l am of foreign birth could
not speak a word of your language
when / came over the sea. So had
to pick out all the small words, those
easily spoken, and il l have done we'll
am pleased, but do not see why it
should be So" There was the germ OF
her power OF expression. In the search
for short words she had unwittingly
chosen the strongest and best, the most
expressive in the vocabulary.
1t is strange that the makers OF
textbooks do not realize that SYM
plicity in the tools to work with, and
clearness in conception of the work to
be accomplished, are essential factors
for shortening the road to knowledge
and thus frightening active, practical,
useful life. Very few OF our best edu.
Gators endorse the textbooks that
have been forced upon the State as a
political, il not an UNANIMOUSLY corrupt
job, and it will be seen that in making
a change it might be we'll to begin
with the spelling book and make a
thorough review of at least all the
methods embraced in our common
schools.