The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-04-01
SLANG FOR 1904.

The 1904 crop of American slang is now
a few holdovers from the preceding year
it presents an outlook of much better
chser to the members OF the Anti-Diction-
airy organization.
The present plan of honor must with
out question be given TO the phrase
That's the answer" Here is usable
expression. the delivery of which stamps
the speaker as a wise gazabo Of the first
water 1t is to be employed thus. for an
example:
L see Knocker has been roasting Get
there's new play, while everybody else
agrees the plays the goods
"Oh, Getthere turned down one of the
WKnocker's songs-that's the answer"
Or again:
Employer-Mr. Comeate, you are be-
hind time again this monring.
Mr.. Comelate-Well, you see, sir
Employer-I don't want any excuses.
next time this happens you hit the bricks
for yours-thats the answer.
That's the answer" may be appropri-
ately used in about twelve conversations
out of every dozen and is a distinct addi
ton to the picturesque phraseology of a
work-a-day world.
''Frisk' is new word which is attain
ing wide popularity in certain circles. 1t
means ito go through one" Thus a
gentleman who has been made the victim
of personal robbery has been 'frisked.'
a 'frisker' is. in plain language, a theft,
though the term is applied elastic and
may mean form of skylarking.
up to the pole" the latest and the
smartest synonym for undertaking sobrie-
ty Time was when ION the water wagon"
was the accepted formula. but this is no
longer fashionable in knowing circles. In
1904 when a man bids farewell TO the
demon dring he goes up, the pole
"Out of luck is a commendable express
sion, being used on the sluightest provo
cation. If a man has lost million dol
lars in Wall street he is ''out of luck"
With equal appropria ateness If he fails to
get seat on q street car he is ''out of
luck" In using this phrase one is permit
ted to anticipate. Thus. If we don't make
that i2:45 train wen be "out of luck
Further. IF the boss hears about me
going against the wheel I'll be 'out Of
luck" It's fine expression. 1t rolls on
III tongue.
"Tin-canning' goes for the getaway
and in a report of a prize fght-whcih.
en- passant. must never be written in
English-when one of the gentlemen runs
aroundthe ring in an effort 10 escape
the reach of the other gentleman. the
smart reporter must chronicle the boiler
maker tincanned but the former bank
clerk was wise and apprehended him"
If gun or a thief is pursued by the
fly cops he no longer takes it on the
rum" as he did last year; he 'tin-cans.'
The expression comes from the getaway
tactics of the dog Of glorious memory. to
whose tail was attached a tin can.
"Cush" and kick are concomitants.
No one in these wise days OF the twen-
tieth century ever has money in his
pocket. Instead, he has "cush' in his
kick" or if he be strapped. he has no
"cush' in his kick The origin Of the
terms is shrouded in mystery.
y favorite term and one growing daily
in popularity is crab To Ire used as "A
verb Thus. If the second comedian seeks
to offset the efforts of the first comedian
by questionable methods he is trying 70
"crag the act" If a confidence gentle
man is restrained from his industry By
the arrival Of the bulls or policemen,
his play has been Grabbed" by the inter
fering gendarmerie- Crab" is The 1e0i
equivalent OF the verb queer" which
had a vague in its day.
\ rave" is any form u conversational
endeavor. The office by listens 20 a rave
by the boss the humble manager harks
u q stars rave" and lesser rortsls
also are permitted TO indulge in tine
rave.
When the rave is extended it becomes
a 'talkfest. Earlier in The history Of
American letters the rave was q wheeze
and stnl earlier It was spiel
Shine" clings 1enaciously as synonym
for incompetency and as a gene~al term
CT reproach. but ''fal' which has been
brought here by an English actor T.
reaching out for recognition along almost I
identical lines.-New York Herlad.