The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1899-11-03
A Specialist in Slang.
CREATOR OF "ARTlE" TALKS
OF STREET SPEECH.
EXAMPLES OF THE CURRENT SLANG
THAT EXPRESSES MUCH
IN LITTLE.
Kansas City Star.

books are shown in the WINDOWS. GeO'
AIDE. OF Chicago, holds rather unique
place as he has come to be regarded
as a 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 purists,
who took violent exceptions TO his
book of "Artie," published three years
ago, and who may find several distinct
shocks in that odd little volume, la
bles In Slang" which has just come
from the press. In both OF these
books Mr.. Ade has gathered up the
vernacular OF the period, the irreve'
rent metaphor, the far.fetched sImile'
and the words coined in the street.
He deals IN language which is often
spoken, but seldom written.
The other day he was ASKED to give
an opinion as to the origin of the
many slang words and phrases which
are being added to our vocabulary ev-
lery year, to enrich it or corrupt 1T, ac'
l1cording 70 tile point or view
II must confess that it is ditlcult
to locate the birthplace Of piece OF
slang" he replied. The cities who
denounce slang most bitterly and who
deny it any place in literature usually
say that all slang has it's origin ln the
criminal or slum layer of society ano
then gradually works its way up, un
Til in the course OF few years 1t
reaches the lcyographer Well, l &c
not believe 1t. There are too many
kinds Of slang The criminal element
has it's own argot, but the slang OF
the basement saloon doesn't ordlnarl
lv find it's way into the colleges, anc
vet our colleges are regular hotbed'
of slang. In thief parlance AT the
present time policeman is a "bull,
a mans legs are his 'gams," his nos'
IS a .'beak" or "conk," his ribs are hi
"slats." and so on. Could you imagln
seminary girl using any such ugl
terms? When she talks slang she say
that something or other is lily or
hun or the only flower on the stem
She may talk of having a mash o
giving some one the frozen face 0
the glad hand but all such expires
sions are merely playful and tigurativ
and | don't see that they can be trace
+ to the vicious element of the larg
cities. And yet the stock argumen
against slang is that it borrowed fror
the slums.
q. course, we can trace dozens
slang words and expressions to tn
race track and the poker table, bu
even this language borrowed from tn
- gamblers has its value. Is there an
good equivalent for the word blum
And could anything be more eXpre
a siye than standing pat?' There al
i certain words and phrases that gro
into general use because there Is d
# actual need of them. Now l can ca
o to mind two valuable words that ha
o come in within the last five yeal
One Is kid not in its old applicable
is to a small child, however, and the OF
al er is string When you say that
Is man stared in to kid you, you mel
that he pretended to be serious wi
er YOU, but that his real purpose was
'd make fun of you and bring you IN
u ridicule Now is there any one wo
or any six words In the purist vocao
he lary that would express the sal
SIS shade OF meaning? The nearest wo
re is 'chafr,' possibly, and kidding
ways is, You take the other wor
~ ~ To string a man means TO oece,
is him by a pretence Of sincerity ana
'n duce him to believe something th
,sn,t true. The 'kidder' seeks anus
- y. ment only; the 'stringer' wishes
4. fasteu a conviction in the mind OF h
hearer. Mind you, | don't say tn
our writer's Of English ought to beg
10 10 using string and kid but l do s
a. that when such words come into Q
vocabulary because they express n
shades OF meaning, 1t is not surp'
~ -. inv that a great many people tt
he them up and use them freely.
is "Then, again, agreat deal OF olr
called slang isn't slang at all. fWl