The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-18
AMERICAN SLANG ABROAD
THE BRITISH FIRST REGRETTED
M THEN FELL IN WITH 1T.
Vogue of American Phrases Used by
Our MISUNDERSTANDING
ton i'm Selections.
Norman Hapgood. in New York CONNER

norman hdDSOOO, III NEW 1OIk 1OIlliC1-
cial Advertiser.
For a time the London papers talked al
most as much about the Americanizing of
the English language as they did about
American trade competition; and, while a
few of them were as philosophic as Mr..
Carnegie about commercial rivalry, they
almost uniformly regretted the transatlan-
tic influence on style. This must be be-
cause the leaders and letters were written
by men having the traditional cultivated
attitude toward purity since many Lon
doners of the writing class look upon the
rapidly increasing change as a renovation.
One of them remarked that French litera-
ture probably had no great future, since
Paris had no new wells of language to draw
upon, whereas the English tongue would
be kept alive by the United States and
Australia. A. b. walkley. who. like other
London dramatic critics. is an alert and
educated man who writes on many sub
jects, speaks in an article published the
other day of American slang as taken
straight from life and always having "a
| vivid picture in it," Some years ago the
same critic, speaking of Miss Austin, said:
LAS to Jen's vocabulary and style. one
is weary of being told that they are super
animated. 1t is true that the word 'ele-
gance,' in the sense in which she employed
it, has migrated to the United States
whittier the best of our old words and old
books and old furniture all CO."
81 OF OUR SLANG.
Another Englishman, a playwright, knows
passages of AIDES slang by heart. He fire.
quently ~misapplies it, but he glories in
an immediate quality. a picture element.
ubicb ha ypfSeac IN his NV country Mar
aulay, it may be remembered. arguing that
Millions greatness was more remarkable
than it would nave been had he lived in
the times Of Elizabeth. insisted that lam
guage is best fitted for imaginative ltera-
ture In it's ruder state. Nations advance
from concrete images to abstract terms
the phrases become exact, but vague. They
dissect rather than portray. So with the in
dividual, the more learned he Is the less
likely is his expression to have in 1t the
color Of art. The extreme vogue OF Mr..
Dooley In London is due partly TO his ideas
but more TO his language: and indeed there
is "A body of men here now who expect i'm
| portant literary influence from Ireland. The
American writer's who are most often
spoken of with enthusiasm here all use the
language with liberty-even with license
notably, besides those already mentioned,
Mark Twain and Bret Harte. When IL
comes TO finish, to perfection, the English
naturally think that hey can learn from
few, II any, Americans except Hawthorne.
So also in speech the Englishman is purer
than the American, and less lively. L have
in four months noticed but two expressions
which are not calmer thar the correspond
ing American ones. and they are both alb
stract; riding "furiously" is forbidden. In
the kitchen fire is not burning 'hercely"
enough TO make toast. Those British
phrases which seem TO us odd are some
times elegant: they are never striking.
"Alight here for Olympia" is certainly
prettier than our phrase. Apartments
which are complete and independent in a
LAsAl -. NJ aaAA1G - AAA
meaning that a certain dish need not be
ordered, said he should pass IL whether or
no." When they do try for the striking
another he was too neutrality-suspicious."
They are satisfied 10 use with extreme fire.
quency such a colorless word as rather"
to express either somewhat" or exceed
ingly." with such slight changes OF accent
that a foreigner Is helpless unless the con-
text points the meaning: had had seats
my companion. Rather" he replied, and
1 am still ignorsnt whether he heard fairly
well or perfectly.
DISCRIMINATION SHOWN.
Englishmen are wise in the use OF our
slang. 1t is not a fad. and IL Is net indis-
criminate. The Savoy Hotels substitute
Of elevator for lift is the only case l
have seen Of the adoption Of an American
term inferior TO the English. Apart from
the brevity and familiarity OF lift. u is
| HDcSiblt L " I'LL a tulnSs Jul udlQlg " ~
vate' IT. down. Usually the educated Eng
lish draw a line In just the right place.
Their papers speak OF a certain statesman
t~omahawking a certain bin. or OF the num-
Der Of scalps in his belt: and those ex-
pressions are probably permanent. as well
as vivid. for the Indian and a few OF his
habits will always be real ideas. They
rejoice I'm such an easy locgtiCn as happen
along" although they might not use IL, or
In such pictorial ones as call down feel
ing his oats. in clover" They adopt
wire for telegram. but dislike Combine"
which adds nothing but brevity OF 'combi-
nation" For corral they say round
up" which Is better. though both will
probably die from lack OF public acquaiLt-
snce with the thing described. Calling ones
bluff is a strange expression here. and prob
ably will remain so. from the small vogue
OF poker. as will lit Is up TO you" He
tackled a subject" would hardly be under
stood. in spite of the knowledge OF football,
and though the hor is en- excellent
one IL will hardly become English. because
football will not be a subject OF literature
or ordinary knowledge. of curse the elab-
crate slang accumulated and invented by
George AIDE is not fit for practical use. even
at its best, as In the picture OF the men
coming into the lecture room with their
ears laid back. pulling on the halter. For
some reason not. 10 my satisfaction, ex-
p.ained. Scotch slang has more resemblance
. TO ours than the English has Ono Scotch