The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-17
BOOK OF COLLEGE SLANG.
Dictionary That Will Contain Words
in Use In Undergraduate Life.
From the New York Herald


in Use In Undergraduate Life.
From the New York Herald.
There is in preparation a work which
will treat distinctly of the language and
slang in use in the colleges and schools of
the country. Prof. Eugene IT. Rabbit of
the German department of Columbia Uni
versty, has the work in charge He has,
with the assistance of Columbia students
aud students in other Institutions of learn
ing, collected the material, which will be
ready in book form by the beginning of
the fall term.
Prof Babbitt has made a special study
of dialects AMI pronunciations of English,
and has prepared several papers for the
American Dialect Society.
Germany has six dictionaries on stu
dent language" he said yesterday after
noon, the last one being by the foremost
German etymologist alive, Friedrich
Kluge. 1t is a standard work SINH
lar work was published in this country in
1858, and others since then have treated of
special institutions. There is no modern
general work of the kind in the country"
Prof Babbitt said the work was not to
be understood as one connected with Co
lumbia University because it had its in
ception there. More than 100 institutions
of learning have been communicated with
to help in the work and responses have
been general. So far more than 700 words,
distinctively those of students are now in
Prof Rabbits hands. He and his asso-
ciates will further consult college papers
and periodicals. The shades of meaning
the various words have will be given and
where there is some incident in college
history connected with the use of a word
il will be given as far as possible.
It is expected that the coming work will
interest philologists as well as students
and those in educational work. The prep
aration of this work is in line with the
scope of the American Dialect Society,
which was formed in 1894 with the hope
of recording a complete record of Ameri-
can speech form in 1890.
These records are to form an autbori-
tative dictionary of American usage,
which. it is intended, shall supersede all
other works in that line. The work on
distinctive college words and expressions
is 10 be the forerunner of the general
work, and is made a separate study be-
cause of its rich and extended field Many
of the words are general to collegiate
life, but others are peculiar to certain col
leges and universities. Local events and
incidents, it has been found, have had
much to do with the formation of college
slang.
In the list which has been sent out for
amplification the words used TO express
a translation appear most frequently.
The words are animal" bicycle"
"Bohn," after an edition of literal trans
lation, "horse," Jack" plug" pony"
"trot," and wheel" Bear box" Is collie
giate for. the faculty pew IN chapel, while
the chaplain is put down as a gospel
shouter" The expressions for girls and
girl students form considerable part of
college slang. Cooler" fem" and
peach" ''blue stocking and quail"
are some favorite terms. course at
tended largely by women students is d
"calico course "Hencoop' Is a dormi-
tory for girl students, and then medic"
is a girl studying medicine. Fuss"
means to call on lady, "go double" or
ago twice" is to act as an escort for
girl. and swing is to escort a girl to
ball.
Money, according to college slang, Is
dough" and "glue," while silver dol
lar is known as a "copek," 'plunk,"
"shecker' or "snker." Matches are call
ed hell sticks" Eggs are hen fruit"
and a zero in class room or in a game
is goose egg" "Owly-eyed," "pipped, >"
duplicated" "corned" and "set up" are
various collegiate ways of expressing an
intoxicated condition. A man belonging
to a fraternity is known as frat"
while one who doesn't is put down as a
barb"