The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1899-12-01
COMING OF WORDS.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE METH
Cd OF COMING
Origin of Slang Expressions HOW
They Are Grated Upon the Language
"A Long List of ColloquiaIisms and
from Whence They Came.

OFikn OF cihHk EApTeSsAo ~f'
They Are Grated Upon the Language
"A Long List of ColloquiaIisms and
from Whence They Came.
Within the last fifty years over co.
900 words and phrases have crept into
the English language, some OF them
for but an ephemer0l existence while
others which but a short time ago were
classed as slang or vulgarisms are to-
day permanent parts of the language.
Unless the origin of a slang word Is
known 1t is almost impossible to tell
how long II has been In use. Many
words originate in one part of the coun-
try, where they may keep their pecu-
liar significance, but by the time they
have Travelled few hundred miles they
have an entirely different meaning.
The following are a few examples of
modern slang: "Clnch" for slnecure.
"come-on" for one uninitiated in some
game or business; a good thing or
an "easy mark" for one peculiarly gull
uble, "up against 1t" and ION the hog"
The phrase, ION the hog" which means
to be financially embarrassed, origi-
mated in Chicago several years ago,
when the price of pork fell many points
on the produce exchange.
OF course many persons who had
bought pork when It was high lost
considerable money, and It became
common to say, 81 hear so and SO lost
money ON the hog" "COn-game" Is
another expression Of Western birth.
Several years ago there was a we'll
known card sharper in the West Of the
name of Connor, but better known by
his nickname, "Con." His cleverness
at cards became so widely known that
any person who was thought to be par
ticularly sharp at card playing was
said to be playing ICON" game. The
word "bogus," meaning counterfeit or
false, though commonly used now, was
looked upon at one time as being as In
elegant an expression as con game Is
to-day, and its origin was somewhat
similar. Over a half century ago a
man of the name of Borghese did a
tremendous business in the way of
supplying the great West and portions
Of the Southwest with counterfeit bills
and bills ON fictitious banks. Western
ers fell into the habit of shortening
the name to Bogus; and his bills, as
well as all others of like character,
were universally styled by them as
bogus currency. The word lobster
has come into use lately as a contemp-
tuors adjective. This word acquired
the latter day meaning on the race
course, when track followers got into
the habit of saying that slow horse
ran like a lobster.
Slang words keep coming into use
among the illiterate every day, but
only the more expressive or forcible
get beyond the place of their origin,
and when they do they often travel so
quickly that 1t is impossible to trace
them back to their source. Sometimes
they are transmitted through several
generations before they are finally TAX
en- up by stump orators at political
meetings. They are next heard on the
floor of Congress. Quoted by news
papers they become familiar to all, and
take their place in the colloquial Ian.
guage of the whole people.
The following Is a list Of colloquial
isms which are in common use to-day
About right, across lots, all sorts of
to back out, backing and filling, to
balk, bee-line, as the crow files, boss
and to boss, to carry away In the sense
of to move to ecstasy, to catch up, to
cave in, to clear out, meaning to de
part; connlption fit, to corner, dead.
head, to dog, don't amount to much. to
be driving at, dyed In the wool, to face
the music, to fire away, first rate, to
fix lin the sense of to put in order)
fiat-footed and hot-headed, to keel
over, to keep a stiff upper lip, knee
high to a mosquito, grasshOpper or a
toad, to leave out In the cold, to let UP
(meaning to release), lickety-split, like
book, as to know like q book, to loaf
and loafer, to lobby, to lynch, mad for
angry, donate for give or bequeath
and no two ways about 1t.
There are a good many expressions
which come into general from techni.
cal use, such as the following from
trade usage: To discount, the balance
From shipplng A No. 1 first used In
Lloyd's register to designate a ship
of such fitness as to warrant the low.
er rate Of marine insurance.. From the
law: Aforesaid or said, as, the said
man, on the docket, entail for value
claim for maintain. From the church,
On the anxious seat to pass under the
rod, advent, neophyte. From mathe
matics: To differentiate, for to make O
difference between, minus, as to come
minus your children. From the stock
market: TO appreciate and to depreci
ate for to rise and to fall in value)
to aggregate las, the sales aggregated
$4,000 shares), to take stock In, above
par. From the race course: Fit, for In
good condition. From mining: To gel
down to bed rock or hard pan, to strike
bonanza.-New York Sun.
PROVISIONS AGAINST FIRE.
The Restrictions to BE Enforced at tn,
IN.ru,n.iAiL..