Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-06-15
MODERN SLANG ORIGIN.
Much q II Comes from Bible ana the
C1ssstcss-A mekfca's CNutpiutiom.

Clasatcss-A mekfca's CNutriution.
Modern conversation has become some
thing of a study, and particularly is this
| true in America. Slang has become al
most the classic of the country--Amer-
ica's peculiar contribution of the age to
conversation and iiteraturc-and verify
one part of tho country knows not how
the other part talks. so Individual to
localities has slang become. Where it
originates in its most violent form no one
can tell, but It may be interesting to a
great many folks to learn that many of
the phrases which have grown so common
through use tina. in their close kitshp to
slang it is the general impression they
ore like Topsy and Just 'gtowcd
up" really originated in the Bible or
| some well known work of fiction. IN fact
the very word "by word originated in
the Bible and is found in Deuteronomy,
xviii. 81.
Tho much-tried Job not only gives us
the phrase gave up tho ghost" but
from the 10th chapter Of the history OF this
character VIC inherit the somewhat inelc-
CANT but expressive phrase escaped with
the skin of my teeth" and from another
chapter you are the people, The 37th
psalm gives us the pleasing description
usually applied to an egOtist. "sprcad-
ing himself like Il green bay tree" At
tend to your own business" Is the off
spring of STUDY to do your own busi-
ness found in I. Thcssaonians iv. II.
and We borrow the phrase sour grapes"
from jeremiah XXI, 90, which may
readily claim precedence OF creation over
the fable of the fox and the grapes from
which this phrase generally is thought
to have sprung. From Mark V. comes
my name Is legion" and he who deems
kick" modern expression for "object"
may read in Acts iv. 5, ITO kick against
the pricks." When we cxclairl he is "a
man after my own heart" We are U.s.
ing version of "a man after his own
heart" from I. Samuel xiii. Il. "A little
bird told me" originates in the tenth
chapter of Ecclcsiastes. where it is
written "for n bird of the air shall carry
the voice and that which hath wings
shall tell the matter"
The apple of his aye" comes from
The song of Moses found in the 80 chap
ter of Deuteronomy. Prcvcrb gives "for
riches certainly make themselves wings"
the parent Of our modern riches
take unto themselves wings" and
heap Goals of fire uron his head
also comes from Proverbs. "Vanitics of
vanitcs all is vanity" "all rivers run
into the sea" there IS no new thing
under the sun" and many other household
sayings come from k.cclesiastes. Two
heads are better than one" sprung from
two arc better than one," found in the
same book.
The sevcnty-eighth psalm speaks Of
angels food and Hebrews xiii. 2
talks OF "cntcrtaining an angel UNI
awares." Laid in the balance and
found wanting" no doubt originated in
laid in the balance. lighter than vanity"
found in PSALMS. "Weighod in the
balance and found wanting had it's
origin at Belshazzar's feast. Pride
comes before a fall" found birth in "a
naughty spirit before n fall" found in
Proverbs xvi. 1s Hebrews ii. has the
line, Tho may run that readeth," where
he modern secures " he who runs may
read" SHARPER than two-edged
sword" comes from the same book
The classics have given no end Of
these phrases to modern Slang" For
instance. we claim pumping a man
as distinctly our own. when in reality
it comes from Otway's masterpiece,
Venice Preserved" which appeared
in 1852. The phrase. ITS an i'll wind
that blows no one good is traced to
"a sixteenth century poet. originally
written ut is an i'll wind that turns
none to good" From the same source
came "Christmas comes but once a
year. and look ere thou leap" A
century later. however. Butler wrote
look before you ere you leap" and
both phrases now arc changed to look
before you leap" Butler also gave "all
cry and no wool'-(not little wool and
count their chickens ere mot before)
they're Matched" Butler. too is given
credit for
He that fights and runs way
May live to fight another day.
because Of his couplct.
For those that 1y may fight again
Which he can never do that's slain.
said to be much older having been
found in some of the bits of verse of
an ancient Greek writer
From Dryden comes Through thick
and thin" and none but tho brave
deserve the fair" Nathaniel Lee. an
English dramatist Of the nth century
wrote when Greeks join Greeks. then
WAS a tug of Har''-our modern "a case
of Greek meet Greek" Shakespeare, of
coarse. has showcrcd the mcderns with
household phrases. Matthew Prior OF the
Eth century passed down to us of two
evils I have chose the least" Byron
gives us ''as clear as a whistle: Cold
Clx