The record-union., 1899-11-12
Literature and
Literary Workers,

pOOhS VI TIE past year, ABOUT Inc Cyl
rect principles of biography Abraham
Lincoln would never read biographies,
fond as he was of reading and of IN
formation about human character, be-
cause, as he explained to his law part
ner, the heroes were SO conventional
lied that they were all alike. In the
life of Lincoln which the Macmillan
Company are about to publish this
Apologize and withdrawing attitude
is absent. The author, Norman Hap
good, was brought up near Lincoln's
own home, and he dwells with as much
satisfaction in the rough but sterling
sides of the great Presidents character
as he does in the more obviously heroic
aspects. 1t will be interesting to see it
this is the real life that we have been
waiting for.
Boston Herald: The question of the
derivation of the word "jamboree" is
becoming a burning one. ]. w. Porter
writes from Bangor, Me-: "Jamboree
is a word that has been in common
use On the Penobscot River for more
than sixty-five years, to my certain
knowledge, and before there were but
few French Canadians here. am not
so sure but the word was derived from
the log jams on the river in driving
time" And Alfred Hennequin returns
to the charge thus: "Gamboler," used
by Rabelais, and before him by Fran
co.'s Villon, in 144O, in one of his ron
deaux,'' became "gambader" about
1920. The word "gambader" is used
/ in Piron, in the sense of ito frisk
III rIv
modern FRENCH exclusively meant "a
restless person." "a fidget." The word
"gambillard" came from GAMBLER" to
.kick about and especially ito dance
| Now, the root of all these words is
"jambe," leg" Take either ''gamboler'
or 'gambader," and "jamboree" must
have something to do with legs" TO
gambod'' is certainly more or less a
matter of legs" Chauoer speaks of
man being "gamboled" having his legs
cut off" 1 fail, therefore, to see where
jimjams' comes in.
| London Echo: A proposal is being
ventilated among scholars of Hindoo
! literature for the formatiOn of
/ Sanskrit epic texts society, with the
object of inaugurating systematic
collection of manuscripts of the Ma
| habharata and other texts relating tic
Hindoo epic poetry from all parts OF
| India. The society would also provide
/ for and superintend the publication OF
texts, translations, or any treatises
tending to show light on the history,
religion, philosophy, the laws and Gus
toms, and the civilization of ancient
India. The proposal for the formation
of the society will be brought before
the Indian section of the forthcoming
! international congress of Orientalists at
Rome. with a view to the appointment
of a committee which shall enlist the
support of various governments and
| academies and learned societies in Eu-
rope and America
| Notes and Queries: The following
names. in addition to those that have
already appeared. are given subject to
correction: Blackamoor, a negro, in
contradistinction to a 'tawny' or
s'tanny" Moor The two divisions of
Africa, north and south of Senegal;
were known of old respectively as
Mauritia, or the country of the Moors,
and Nigritia, the country of the blacks;
fanny" were formerly designated
"Moors"-e. g., Othello.
Blue Caps or Blue Bonnets. the
| Scotch: He is there. too and a
thousand blue caps more" : Shakes
peare, 81. Henry w." IL. iv.
England shall many day
Tell of the bloody fray
When the blue bonnets came over the
border. Scott.
Blue Nose Quoted ante, p. ~, in an
editorial note), native of Nova Scotia
or of Newfoundland, the climate of the
latter being very cold, and the island
! covered with snow for five months in
the year.
! Bogtrotter, an Irishman.
| Bonnet Rouge a French Red Repub-
lican, in alluson to the red cap of lib
erty.
Cabbage eater Kapustaik, Russian.
Canuck, a Canadian. See IN. & c..
Sth S. H., So.
Cherno- Paptonitza, a Sherman CD.
Chukhna, a Russian nickname for the
Finn.
Cockney, citizen, especially of Lon
dom corruption of a Greek word
/
as opposed to purchased slaves; one
born and brought up "at home" and
consequently ignorant of everything
but city life.
Croatie, a nickname among Italians
for an Austrian, Croato.
| Cuffey, a negro. A generic name for
the race. Cuffen and Cudden are differ
ent forms of the same word, also writ
ten Cuddy Ca dolt, ass), applied to
slaves, who are used like asses CDR.
Brewer: "Sambo and Cuffey expand
under every sky."-H. Beecher Stowe.
Frog-eate a Frenchman, in allusion
to his partiality for the succulent
siren of the ditch" as an article of
| food
Goddam, the English soldier, was thus
nicknamed by Frenchmen while he was
engaged in the Continental wars on
account of his frequent use of the
swear word
| Greaser, a Mexican, thus nicknamed
by the Western United States people on
account of his greasy appearance.
! Hans Worst Jack Sausage Ger
man. A German buffoon, hence nick
name for German generally, in allu-
sion to his favorite Wand Compare
cabbage eater" Jack Pudding
"Pickleherring," "Macaroni,' Jean
Potage.'
Ivan Ivanovitch pronounced Ee'van
Eevan' ovitch) Russian. fictitious
parsonage supposed to be the embodi'
ment of the peculiarities of the Russian
people. as John Bull is of the English.