The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-04-04
PARIS OUTDOES
AMERICAN SLANG
No Phase of Life Too Sacred
For Flip Words
NOT IN THE DICTIONARY
There Are a Score of Remarks in
Common Use in French Capital
to Indicate Death-"Room
to Let"
NOT IN THE DICTIONARY
From the Boston Herald.

From the Boston Herald.
Parisans are as much given to the
use of slang as Americans. Some of
their expressions survive only for
meteoric career of a year or two. Oc-
casionally such an expression travels to
this country in time to secure a new
lease Of life over here.
That was the case with the use Of
lobster as a term of contempt. Back
in 1895 TO be called un homard in Paris
was the limit of contumely. Later the
use of the word was imported to this
country and about the same time it de-
clined in Paris.
But not all their slang is transient.
Much Of it is in use from year to year,
and the traveller who is familiar with it
is sure to find it a mighty handy weapon
sometimes. So it is good news that
Prof. Charles Marchand has compiled
a list including about 800 of these words
and sentences which are in common use
in Paris
Many Of them are good enough to
be admitted to this country without
duty. Others nave a singular family re-
semblance to American slang express
sions.
For instance, in speaking of a fool they
say that he has "a room to let which
corresponds with our upper story to let
But they also say of him that "he has
spider on his ceiling" and that ''he loses
The map" and that "he is stamped
meaning he is stamped for the asylum
One of the most vivid of these phrases IS
The has moved out
If they want to express an absolute
refusal, as we do when we say, 1T
i, will be a cold day when | dot they
say il will be hot. or that it will be
''the week with the four Thursdays or
ION the Seth day of the MONTH More
briefly. they respond with simple 'on
Sunday or "Oftener." Or they ex-
plode with ''Medlars.' or "Turnips"
lntimating that you won't get anything
else.
Parisians have always a grim humor
| for the dead says the New York Sun.
| Out of a score of cheerful forms of an
rouncing a mans departure from this
life the following are especially pietur-
esque He has swallowed his fork; his
| teeth do not hurt him any more; he
! eats salad by the root; he has uE-
| screwed his billiard table; he has
! creased his boots; he has dismissed
| his baker: he has lost his taste for
| bread; he has put his cab in the bare,
! ne has lost hold of the banister; he has
/ changed his gun to the left shoulder.
J They have some apt expressions, Of
! course. for the use of those who look
( upon the wine when it is red and the
absinthe when it is green. Taking an
, absinthe is described as strangling a
parrot. They speak of crooking the ell
bow and wetting the whistle. They
also ask a man to have a drink by say
! in "Win you change your breath?
A man who is inclined to be bibulous j:
said to have "a hole under his nose.
A lazy man is said to have perpend.cu
lar ribs, as that arrangement of hii
anatomy would account for his seeming
inability to bend over to work. Another
expression to describe a loafer is mo
body ever saw him perspire.' They say
of a conceited fellow: "Oh, the King ism
| his cousin
man out of work is ION the pave
ment;" to be in the height of fashion il
to be from the last boat" when a WON
an receives with a lot of ceremony She
does it with grand tralala." man witt
plenty of nerve is said to have du culot
that being a large base. as of a lamp
giving solid foundation. A brave mar
is said to have dog, which is similar tC
the slang phrase current here some years
ago Ito put on dog"
TO he Kept after school or after hours
is to be blued or stuck. A high Official
is a big vegetable. A bald head is q
(caillou), a round, smooth stone.
1 n+l,a,. -lono exDraSsions for the head