The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-11-24
HOW SLANG
IS COINED
The Author Of FABLES in Slang"
Discusses il.
DOESN'T ORIGINATEIN THESLUMS
Something New for the Lovers
Of Catchy aud Expressive Ian
guage - NJ anin@ Of
Twcnty-Threc.
DOESN'T RlGINATEIN THESLUMS

Among the newer writer's whose books
are shown in the windows George AIDE
Of Chicago. holds a rather unique place
as he has come TO be regarded as q
specialist on the subject Of American
slang Mr. AIDE does not crave the honor
and hopes to live long enough to WIN
the favor Of the purist who took violent
exceptions to his book of "Artie," publish
ed three years ago. and who may ma
several distinct shocks In that odd little
volume. Fables ia Slang which mas
Just come from the press. Ia both OF
these books MI. AIDE has gathered up the
vernacular OF the period, the irIeVercnt
metaphor. the far-fetched smile, ana the
words coined I'm the street. lie deals IN
a language which is often spoken Dul
seldom written.
The other day he was asked 10 give an
opinion as 90 the origin of the many
slang words and phrases which are being
ADDED to our vocabulary every year, 10
enrich ii or corrupt 1t, according 10 the
point Of view
Il must confess that it IS difficult TO
locate the birthplace of "a piece of slang.
ne replied. 1.-The critics who denounce
slang most bitterly, and who deny it any
slang has it's origin in the criminal or
Stun layer Of society and then gradually
works its way up until I'm the course OF
"A few years il reaches the photographer.
Well. 1 don't believe a. There are too
many kinds of slang The criminal eie-
ment has its own arsot but the slang
OF the basement saloon doesn't ordinarily
find its way into the colleges, and yet
our colleges are regular hotDcds of slang.
In thief parlance at the present t.:nc
policeman is bull "a mans legs are his
gains his nose IS 'he8k Or n 'c0nk.
his ribs are his stats. and so on. Could
YOU imagine "a seminary girl using amy
such ugly terms? When she talks slams
she says that something or other is
lily or n hun OF the only flower on
the stem or giving someone the frozen
face or the glad hand but all such eS-
pressions are merely playful and hgura-
tive, and / don't see that they can be
traced to the vicious element of the large
cities. And yet The stock argument
against slang is that il is borrowed from
the Sums
"Of course we can trace dozens Of SLAMS
words and expressions to the race track
and the poker table but even this Ian
guage borrowed from the gamblers has
ITS value. Is there any good equivalent
for the word 'bluff?" And could any
thing be more expressive than standing
patY There are certain words and
phrases that grow into general use be-
cause there is an actual need OF them
New, ] call TO mind two valuable slang
words that have come in within the last
five years. one is Kid, not IN its old
application TO a small child, however.
and the other is String When YOU say
f.,
mean that he pretended TO be serious with
you. but that his real purpose was to
make fun Of you and bring you into ridl-
cule. Now. is there any one word or
any six words in the purest vocabulary
that would express the same shade OF
meaning? The nearest word is 'chaff.'
possibly, but chatting may not be mock
serious and kidding always is. You take
the other word. To string a man means
10 deceive him by "A pretense of sincerity
and induce him 10 believe something that
isn't true. The 'kidder seeks amusement
only: the 'stringer' wishes to fasten a
conviction In the mind of his Nearer. Mind
you, l don't say that our writers Of Eng
lish ought 10 begin using string or kid
but l do say that when such words come
into our vocabulary because they express
new shades of meaning, 1t is not sur.
Pii9iiib tHAN a. great many people take
them up and use them freely.
Then, again, "a great deal of so-called
slang isn't slang at all. When a
young man calls his girl a peach or
bird he IS simply following the example
Of the poets. lie is talking nguratively.
When you say that such and such a thing
IS the limit. YOU are not abusing good
English / say Of "a man. I can see his
finish. That is absolutely correct Eng
lish. and very forceful English. too. An
other kind OF slang IS nothing more than
the putting Of old words into new com
Dinations, the result in each case being
novel and catchy phrase that is band
led about IN common talk until no writer
dare use IL, because IL has become ia
miliarized. you may say, into nothing
more than slang
"Oueerest OF all IS the senseless slang
phrase. which holds the fancy for the
hour and then passes. There are nu-
merous phrases that have come and
gone within 20 years At present you
hear man saw that he felt like 50 cents
Can anyone analize TIT into a sane ex-
preston? Yet IL is musing and catchy.
] first heard that 80 cents comparison
in 1895. Since then il mas come into gen
eral use merely because it's so freak
ish It's the same with the current
How'd YOU like TO be the fee man?' 1t