The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-16
THE USE OF SLANG.
IL Is Almost Universal, and Is Al
ways Law.
From the Philadelphia Times

prints that custom is authority for the
misuse of language and that we Americans
should not be controlled in our lingual ex-
pressions by the laws and regulations of
our British ancestors. This has led to "a
query of the origin of what we cali
Slang" 1t Is said by Web
ster to be of gypsy origin
and is defined TO be low. vulgar unauthor-
lied language. All professions, trades and
occupations have their slang but it may
safely be set down as an axiom that the
lower the calling the richer 1t is In this
delectable lingo. Slang is universal Every
nation and tribe in the known world has
its cant terms. and though refined people
deprecate their use. it cannot be denied
that by the means of a slang term express
sion Is often given to an idea that 1t would
take sentence to imperfectly explain. 1t
would be interesting TO trace the history
of slang, but the limited confines of chat
with you forbid such research. Sufficient
for our purpose that it exists and that Il
is used datly-often unconsciously-by
thousands, aye. millions of people.
That the lower the calling the richer II
is in slang is fully eXemplihed in the case
of the dishonest-for thieves have vo-
cabuary almost as copous as Webster's
unabridged They 'pater flash"-that is
talk slang-almost constantly. This Is
caused by two reasons-lrst. their desire
TO keep as secret as possible even their
ordinary thoughts, and second, their love
of being thought fly" or smart people
In thieves slang, an honest man Is a
square bloke," and all that do not come
under that category are Crooks" or ION
the cross" A pickpocket is a ''cly faklr,"
a burglar Craftsman" a safe robber a
gopher blower" while commoner thieves
are ''sneaks," "knucks," gums" and 'gon-
IFS. A thief's wife. or female companion,
Is Mol" drinking saloon Is "booz-
ing" for Gushing KEN" the place where
he seels or disposes of his ilI-gotten gains
a fence" while the property itself is
''swag." His companions in crime are his
mob" or gang and his especial enc
mics, the police, are cops" or "coppers"
He is never arrested but Is "collared' quite
frequently, and when the proof against him
Is conclusive he is 'copped dead TO rights
When he drinks he collars his booze"
II sent to prison he Is lin Quod," sin
stur," or ''jugged" Serving out a term
OF imprisonment Is @doing time" and It's
length Is indicated by moons" for
months and stretches" for years. He
has hundred terms for money, but a
dollar is invariably ease" and a hun
silver watch is "a ticker and a gold
one "a super" Twisting a super" means
wringtng a gold watch off its chain To
tell man lie Is to "give him a stiff"
while TO fiatter him is to give him 'taffy'
hence the oft-used expression: what
are yer givin' me, taffy?" thief never
betrays another, he gives him away"
ms ms name is his "monaker," and he never
dies, but "croaks"
Next to thieves the disciples of the prize
ring most love slang A fighters head is
his nut, or knowledge box" his ewes
are his "ogles," or his "glims;" his nose
is his horn" his ''conk' his "smeIIer"
his "cutwater" and his "proboscis;" his
mouth is his potato trap" or his ''kisser,"
ana his ears are his Jugs" his arms are
his fins" or dukes" and his fists are
his 'manleys," and his punches of fives."
his stomach is his bread basket and his
Victualing department" and his legs are
his pins When he gets a good thump-
ing and does not vince he is said To he
game" and to take to his cruel kindly"
When his opponent catches him around
the neck with one arm and pounds him
with the other, he is said to be In Chan
Gerry" The beating he gives or receives
Is punishment" and when from its re-
ception he Is so weak he can hardly stand
up he is said to be "groggy," In which
event his opponent is advised to go in and
finish him by putting on the kibosh."
The turf is rich in slang, as might he
expected. Its patrons are mainly divided
into two classes-the ''sharps" and the
flats" The former prey upon the latter
and In fact, II IL were not for the fresh
crops which every year produces thew
would not exist The knowing ones',
are frequently talked Of but when their
knowledge proves to be misinformation
they come to grief" and dump their
money like a common Sucker" A horse
that is taken through the country and
trotted under false name, pedigree or
record, is a ringer" and unfortunately
the number OF these is legion. A ''staver;,
is a horse with great powers of endurance.
and 'welcher" is a man who sneaks out
of his bets Under the American system
of betting there are but few of this class
on our courses, though in England they
are as plenty as blackberries in July.
Circlus men use slang very freely, their
lives being so much in public that but for
1t they would have difficulty In commune
eating with each other without making
their affairs known to the crowd of the
curious who hang about their heels in
servile attention Being nomadic in their
habits 1t is not strange that most of their
cant terms are derived from the gypsies
With the knights of the arena food is
peck" and drink Is lush" The mana
ger of a circus is denomlnated it's main
guy" but the patrons OF the concern are
not so honored. being known as guys"
simply, or as "gillies."
ITO weed" means to talk, and mo" is
nixey." The narrator once attended q
circus with a gentleman who had heard
much Of circus slang without ever having
heard II used. though he was anxious to
have the experience. Walking over 10
where a number of canvasmen were talk
ing, we listened awhile, and then began
an explanation of the conversation. One
of the takers remarking this observed
to his companions. "Nixey weeden, Sc
raw. The guy stays" Our friend was
much mystifed when told what the slang
meant: Don't talk so plain, that man
understands you" The experience of
countrymen who fell in with a couple
of circus "fakirs," or performers who
were bad men," was not pleasant one.
In describing IL he said: "All three of US
was walkin' together, when one of EN-
says, Let's clean his nibs.' The tother
one said: fSwipes, CALL and then both Of
them hit me 20 onct" Circus boys are