The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-01


at the recent meeting OF the Indiana
Union OF Literary Clubs at Valparaiso a
lady delegate, teacher at the State Uni
versity, read a paper on Slang" in which
she advocated it's right TO exist and even
defended its use. She maintained that the
life of the language depends upon its con-
tinual change and that such expressions
IS ''up against it, and Gin it, will soon
have a permanent place in the language.
The subject is not a new one and has been
considerably discussed. purists and pedants
generally taking the ground of hostility to
slang under any and all circumstances.
and its defenders much the same ground
as that above indicated. 1t is one Of those
subjects Of which Addison said: Much
may he said on both sides'-though il is
hardly necessary to say that this most ele-
CANT Of all English prose writer's was not
referring to slang. No doubt there was
slang in Addison's time. as there has been
in all times. but Addison did not use it,
though some of the best approved Eng
lish words of his time had probably passed
through different stages of development
from disreputable slang to linguistic recog-
milton. There are many such words in the
language-words which, starting first as
authorizations, epithets, nicknames or col
loquialisms and for long time condemned
by purists as slang, gradually made their
way to the point of respectable recogni-
ton and incorporation in the language. 1t
is hard at any given time for lexicogra-
pliers to draw the line between slang words
or expressions and those which have ceased
TO be slang and found a place in standard
speech and it is still harder to say what
words or expressions may not find promo
ton in the future. The word Slang itself
illustrates the idea. Nobody knows just
when or where it originated. 1t has no
genealogical origin or respectable parent
age. Originally it meant thieves jargon
or, as it was sometimes called, thieves
Latina sort of cant which they alone
could understand. Now it is used to desig-
nate newly coined colloquialisms that spring
up among the people spontaneously, as it
were. Because slang phrases have a capri
cious or extravagantly metaphorical mean
ing they are generally regarded at first
as vulgar or inelegant, but they often make
their way by sheer force of merit into gen.
eral use. A careful search of the diction-
airy would discover a great many words
which have passed through this experience.
Such American phrases stump speaker.
spellbinder, junket kicker, everything is
lovely, mud-slinging, shyster, scallawag,
bunco, fake and scores of others have al
most passed from the domain of slang.
The word dude" of comparatively recent
English origin and for some years classed
as slang, is now used by good writer's and
has place in the dictionaries. The phrase
ito take back seat" meaning to retire
into obscurity, can scarcely be called slang
now, though it was originally. Everybody
knows what back number" means and
nobody wishes to be one. Everybody likes
"a good send-off," even though it be slang.
1t has not been many years since the word
BOOM" as indicating great prosperity,
was first used. Now it has a place in the
dictionaries, and we have presidential
booms, business booms railroad booms,
and all kinds. The list of such words and
phrases might be greatly extended Many
of them are very expressive and easily
understood without diagrams Probably
there is not university professor of Eng
llsh in the country who would not know
what was meant If he were told he was
barking up the wrong tree" or had WAX
ened the wrong passenger" If nominated
for office he would be insulted if asked if
he intended to "open a bar'l." If defeated
he would hate to be told that he was 'in
the SOUP" and would probably understand
equally well what was meant if he were
told he was mot in it." The conclusion
is irresistible that while the free use of
slang words or phrases is never permissible
in dignifed or serious writing, especially
while they are slang, they may and often
do reach a stage of development where
their use is permissible, and they do I'm
questionably. to some extent, fertilize and
enrich the language.