The Washington herald., 1908-02-02
THE ORIGIN OF SLANG.
Theater Contributes Much TO
the COmmOneP Idi0m.
GALLERY GODS HELP PLAYERS
''Chauncey, You're "A Peach," Hurled
at Depew at an East Side Political
sect the Hook" another Phrase
from the TOp-IOft of PIayhOuses.

one OF those versatile vaudeville fellows
whose fun flows as much from what they
say as from what they do. was juggling lin
plates In a marvellous manner. He could
go to sleep throwing up three and catch
ing them: he did not seem to bother
himself much about four; five kept him
busy. but not enough to strain his
nerves or his muscles. while six required
his most deeply absorbed attention. Then
he ventured upon seven. says a New
York correspondent OF the Cleveland
Plain Dealer Down they came on the
stage with a elatter.
You can't blame him." remarked
deeply excited old woman. Two would
keep me guessing"
When the dishes lay prone upon the
floor, and the clatter they made had
subsided. the iuggler walked over to
table and hung placard on the front,
It contained one word.
"Skiddo"
Again he essayed the seven with the
same result. Again he walked over. and
the second placaTd read as follows:
Twenty
At the disastrous termination OF the
third trial he hung up the words.
Get the hook,
With that he dashed from the stage.
followed by the laughter and howls of
the audience.
In the case OF the vaudeviIllst the
slang vas fun. pure and simple. Thus
does the slang that comes naturally. and
has q meaning understood by everybody.
come up gradually from mere slang and
takes place I'm the dictionary. like bum
mer, 'bulldOze,' and boycott"
Hurled at Depew.
You recall that episode Of a night when
Chauncey Mitchell Depew was at the
summit of his oratorical fame He was
in demand on so many occasions that his
notebook, like "a pudding was stuffed
with dates.
1t was an exciting campaign. and the
Republican party, ready 20 offer its best
70 the humblest. had decreed that De-
pew. its flower OF the hustings. should
spend an evening among the tecming ten
ements Of the East Side. a big hall was
engaged. and an hour before the speech
making every inch Of even the upper gal
leries was nlled
Nr Depew was AZ his best: he sized
up his crowd when De entered. and vita
rare wisdom played especially 90 the top
gallery where unWasned and shirt
sleeved universal suffrage sat on its ma
tive heath.
He joked, Ee answered questions in a
way that turned the laugh on the inter-
l0cutors; he told stories. In fifteen min
utes he had the audience going-and all
We're going his way
1t was I'm tho iuii 0f ID moment that a
husky young man on the front upper row
teamed over the rail and hurled Il the
orator that immortal phrase.
"Chauncey. you're a peach"
Up 20 that moment q peach had been
TO more than an apple. pear. or an
apricot But what has Il not stood for
since that memorable night2 Is not the
term "a peach" the sweetest song of
praise that can be sung into the human
ear2
A porter or a rOustabOut is one who
handles bales and boxes and drags them
in or out with a sharp pointed hook And
it was one Of these who from an upper
gallery Of p Bowery vaudeville house
condemned an ambitious amateur and
gave new slang phrase to the world
when he suggested an accelerated exit
from the stasc as he hawled from his
enthToned height,
Get the hook"