The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-15
Germs OF Modern Slang in
Shakespeare Time.
PAINTING THE TOWN RED
The Bard OF Avon Lives in the Snaecb
OF Men Who Never Heard of Him
Choice Bits Supposed to
Be Modern.

red" the passage in question being
found in the fourth scene of the second
act of Henry w." Uirst part, where
Prince Henry tells Poins that "the good
lads of Eastcheap" call drinking deep
"dyeing scarlet
In Measure For Measure" act III,
scene 2, we have the equivalent, If not
the origin, of our phrase Sin the SOUP
If you will refer to act l., scene 2, you
will observe that Mrs. Overdone is
playing in hard luck. as witness:
Mrs. Ov,-But shall all our houses of
resort in the suburbs be pulled down?
Pompey-To the ground, mistress.
Mrs. Ov.-Why, here's a change in
deed in the commonwealth. What shall
become of me?
And we learn later from Elbow, in
act H., scene /, that the house has in
deed been ''plucked down. and in con-
sequence Mrs Overdone's "occupation's
gone"
Lucio-How does my dear morsel, thy
mistress?
Pompey-Troth, sir, she has eaten up
all her beef, and she is herself in the
tub.
You may find in Shakespeare a great
deal of slang that is in common use to-
day and that is commonly supposed to
be of modern origin; as. for example:
My cake is dough-" says Gremio, in
Tanning of the Shrew," act ", scene
l. and again: Our cake is dough on
both Sides" act l., scene l. idem.
In the same play we have: .Tll pheeze
you, in faith" used somewhat in the
same sense as our never feazed him.
And again in 'Troilus and Cressida,"
we hear Ajax say: An a be proud with
me, I'll pheeze his pride" Act H..
scene 2.
Every mothers son" is of the opin-
ion that this phrase that designates
him is of recent birth; but it isn't, for
we find it in Midsummer Nights
Dream" act L. scene 2: That would
hang us, every mothers SOM" and
again, in act Ill, scene 1, Come, sit
by jowl with IL we have: May, will
go with thee cheek by jole," act III,
scene 2. idem. In this same play often
occurs the word bully" in the sense
that we would say bully fellow, as:
20, sweet bully Bottom" tAct ",
scene q. But It is in the merry Wives
of Windsor that we most frequently
meet this word where it is continually
in the mouth OF Mine Host Of the Gar
ter, as: What says my bully rook?" or
Descend, bully Hercules" etc.
1t is also in the Merry Wives that
we first come across the term What
the dickens" used by that delightfully."-
naughty Mrs. Page, who says" l can
not tell what the dickens his name Is
my husband had him Of" (Act III,
scene y.
I'm Much Ado About Nothing it may
be seen that a cat, Notwithstanding its
nine lives, could yet be killed by care
in those days as well as in these:
What though care killed a cat" etc,
act III, scene 8; and in the same play
we hear our dear friend Verges call
Dogberry his partner" in some such
sense as Cayuse Pete might ask Biffs.-
10 Bull to take som't'in', pard.'
Doubtless it is also to Much Ado
that our newspaper reporters are in
debted for the phrase in which they VIII
tell you that such an orator or such
a play met with a cold FROST for, in
act ", scene T. we have its equivalent
in: "Why, what's the matter, that you
have such a February face, so full OF
frost of storm and cloudiness?'
We often hear it said: That's too
much of a good thing" but Rosalind,
in LAS You Like It." act ~, scene l,
pontedly asks you: Can one desire
too much of good thing?" My own
reply to Rosalnd's question would be:
May, Pauline" or, in the words OF
Maria, in Twelfth Night" act H.,
scene 8, MY purpose is indeed horse
of that COLOR give me all l can ger
of a good thing, land let the world
slip, we shall ne'er be younger, as
might say Mr.. Christopher Sly f'Tam-
ing of the Shrew," induction. scene y.
We also find this phrase in Beaumont
and Fletcher: will you so drink.
and let the world slider"
MANY a conVivial gentleman would
accent this invitation with alacrlty but
for the fear that She'll comb his mar
for him." and he owes this apprehen.
sion to something that Katharine saia
about "combing his noodle with
three-legged stool" (''Taming of the
Shrew," act l., scene ~; for he knows
that IL he comes home too late from
the lodge" Kate will say: Faith ana
I'll send him packing. CHenry W,
part l., act H.. scene AZ anu IL ne oe
wise he will stand not upon the order
NJ his going. else Kate will surely say.
with I,auncelot ("Merchant of Venice,
oct TT scene D: Il will try Commissions
with him" only she would not bunsie
the phrase as Launcelot did, but would
say conclusions But Whatever sle
nisbt saw, YOU may depend upon 1t she
would rule the roost," as did Suffolk;
the new-made duke" in Henry VI,
act l., scene !. Ill, of.ox,
hear the negroes say they are spittlhs
cotton" or splitting white, IN the
| sense that they are thirsty. But they
QOn hlloN lllett my H.,
| sion to the fat knight. II IL De NJ
| day," saws he in Henry w." second
| nart act L. scene 2, land | brandlsh
| anything but a bottle, l would | might
neyer snit white again"-a calamity in
decd 70 Sir John, whose dream of bliss
was ever to possess an inextinguishable
thirst and oceans of sack to drench
| it in. III &c ,
| And apropos to the negro: II Is
singriar fact that scores of words that
| ave- in common use with him, but that
are tahooed by the whites, are OF the
I.a,.v unrest old English. Such, for IN
| toa &c .I focht it." or Il holp him
- Vetcb II " ar Il can tote it all day,
". when raught (reachedD there, or
1T dn admire (wonder) to hear it, and
.dores of others are all to be found in
shatesneare, and, in my humble opin-
an are better than their substitutes.
T could note a jag" any night as
aos;Iv as I could carry 1t; and II you
| .ssoIr, mo home with it. l could, when