The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-18
IN THE GOssIP's CORNER.

The idiosyncrasies of the English language
are fruitful theme for punsters, most of
whom also are rhymesters, and the advent
of a new word or combination of words is
hailed as the coming of fair game. A
person with a strange name or one that is
strangely spelled is considered legitimate
target for the shafts of alleged wit of these
irrepressible free lances, and all the rela-
tions of life are levied upon to cater to the
national sin of punning. AS a peculiarly
atrocious example of play upon spelling. 1
remember that few years ago there was
current a bit of doggerel that ran some
thing after this fashion:
If an and an 1 and o and
With an Y at the end, spell Su;
And an Z and and an spell /,
Pray what is a speller TO do?
Then, If also an and an 1 and a q,
And an II e ID spell eide,
There's nothing much left for speler to do
But to go and commit siouxeyesighed.
XXX
This and kindred other verbal enormities
ran their course. having seasons of ebb and
flood tide. In the main they followed much
the same rut. The Spanish war gave the
punsters a chance at something new, and
among the earliest to avail themselves of
the opportunity was the present pension
commissioner, who celebrated Deweys vic
tory by perpetrating on the long-suffering
public some punny rhymes. Oddly enough,
among all the reproductions of Captain
Wares verse, coincident with his accept
ance of the commissionership, there is not
one, so far as 1 have seen, that follows
copy" as it was in May of 1898, verbatim.
AS written, the lines were:
dewy was the morning 49,
Upon the First OF May.
And Dewey the Admiral
Down in Manila Bay;
And dewy were the Regents eyes
Them orbs of royal blue
And do feel discouraged?
do not think we do.
There was no attempt to make the spelling
uniform with the spelling of the commo-
dore's name, the whole play being on the
sound of the spoken words. Most of the re-
cent versions also transposed the words
''eyes" and "orbs," spelling not only the
smOothness but also the sense-or nonsense
of the lines.
Now ping-pOng, that redoubtable game
which has been aptly described as little
more exciting than croquet and not quite
so eXhilarating as tiddledewink, has given
the tribe new lease of life. Some frail at
tempts to do justice to the theme have been
made on this side of the water, but it was
reserved for the London Mail to ring all
the changes. which is done as follows:
II a man who plays at ping-pong is "ponger"
Then the singer OF sing-son is "songer;'
II the ''songer'' is singer
Then the ''ponger is a ''pinger."
And the man who says it's wrong must be a
'wronger.'
If your charming partner at the games a
Then an operate nightingale's 'singstress;'
II the song she sings is sung.
Is the game OF ping pong ''pung7'
And is the girl who fingers called ''lingstress?
XXX
But we have not yet arrived at the great
est heights-or depths-of word coinage A
writer in London Weekend describing an
interview with Mr.. Worth, says the latter
"farewelled" London Chronicle rises to re-
mark that lit is the poets prerogative TO
increase the vocabulary" and submits the
following verses as an attempt in that di-
rection:
gardened in the evening shade
The birds around me songed;
Indoors my friends, as sounds betrayed.
Ping-ponged
Twas then that Jones came horsIns by
His steed newly shoed-
He cordially "hulloa' ed, and
''How-do"-ed.
He told me how his meadows erased,
And how his poultry egged
His views how houses should be glassed
/ begged
So he opirioned till tired.
And backed him from the theme
Ard then OF butt'Tng cows inquired
And cream.
While thus We conversational. Time
With ruthless foosteps onned.
1t darked. heard the vesper chime
From You'd.
Az last felt that must part
Farewell, my friend, cryed
And he, with anguish at his heart
"Good-byed."
Springfield Republican pertinently COM
ments that, as a matter OF fact, every one
OF these propounded verbs is formed in en-