New-York tribune., 1910-06-04

Can read TIE dictionary through
The rest o< the uuatrain does not con-
ce-r ,as here. We merely wish TO sug-
ees. that he may well desire TO erase
these lines II ever he happens-as. on
course. he wil1-upon these two supple
-1aertarv volumes OF the Century INC
tsnnarv. one can easily dip into them
snd continue 10 read. lured on oy a
focusing realization Of the ms gnitude OF
the progress made by humanity IN the
last two decades. These two volumes
Nu an actual and an urgent need tnere
&c hardly "a department Of human kno"I-
.sza ana activity in which the last
twenty years have not brought aoout
changes and progress requiring the
naming OF new words. the extension or
.he modification Of the meanings OF old
ones.
Z, medicine IN chemistry. in micro
rnooy ana biology, in agriculture IN
engineering, IN the laboratory ana the
x-r1sf1ip. n finance and the rnarts of
trsSe revolutions have taken place, or
oerlv and progressive, ticketed at each
stage with new terms, often borrower
firm, the name Of inventor or fnncvator.
or from the language Of his nationality.
Since the original Century Dictionary
was completed. the automobile. the wire
less. the dir1gible and the aeroplane have
been added TO our means Of intercom-
-1sunication The turbine has been
brought to perfection. naval construc-
ton has changed. serums and anti
toxins have been placed at the service Of
medicine: surgery. far outstrlpping IT,
has. among many other triumphs proved
that nephropexy Is a cure for Bright S
disease-the Century Dictionary Sup
-,lement." while taking note Of the op-
GRAFTON. does not mention this, perhaps
the most important OF its benefits. dis
covered by the late DR. Edebohls. OF
New York. But why continue? AS
work Of reference this Supplement is
practically an independent work, COM
plete in itself.
But there is more. Innumerable for
eign words and phrases have come into
the language from the Neldt. the Philip
pines aTid Pcrto Rico, from Japan, ana
from the tongues brought to our shores
hr immigration and, in addition 10 all
that. our restless energy has been coin
ing colloeuialisms which certainly afford
quicker travelling to our destination
than formal speech. joyous, inagina-
tive. often witty shortcuts packed with
meaning for an optimistic. hustling age.
Here however. We venture to become
mildly critical. Why. for instance, grant
American citizenship To the fiddish
echodchaH and ber0kGh. but ignore the
gn1zuun. without which no Funtif is ever
really icyful2 And where would the
schadeban be without the hoopdhY
Again. among French culinary delights.
the Supplement specializes on delicious
sauces but leaves US in the dark regard
ing the difference. so important to
American palates. between BoToetdbSe
and Procencdle. We welcome borderedu,
and from Japan buskido and bnn5dt.
From Mexico and the demesnes that
thereunto adjacent lie. all the way to
the Philippines. we borrow Hd1ionG,
which viii always remain an exotic to
\ us We ask also If it is not invidious to
'F single out the Black Hand for condem
rstorv definition while ignoring the two
torgs that do SO much to liven up the
p!enert has missed a golden opportunity
here. Tor If anything is wanted by the
New York police it is g workable. under
standahle definition Of the Chinese secret
societies.
Those French sauces have given US
en appetite: wherefore We feel that We
have 2 just grievance against the ed
ttors of the Supplement for the omission
of that famous New York delicacy. the
-stnes hotel sandwich Nay. more; the
hotel itself IS missing. ard so is the
statesman who made the law that made
them both From the missing sandwich
we turn for consolation TO its accom-
pa-yirg liquids, and meet with better
luck Eere is the nighoall, but il is
labelled "(slaneN'' Perish the thought
Here too iust ~ season. is the ricley.
tut the less insidious horses neck is
passed over. Irnpelled solely by love Of
rhe language, and 81 the risk Of sacri-
fcine our reputation in its service. we
pursue our investigation Of the stock of
wet goods" 81 the Supplement. and find
q - be rather low. The temperate ed
ssrrs know only tvo kinds Of cocktail
We are acquainted with men. not even
lez.cor-e pliers. who can name at least
Six varieties orhand, not counting the
chantecler, the comet and the svzygy.
Tank" says the Supplement with
starting 6istinctness We stare. then
see thst no offence is meant. for. says
this authority. 'Tsnk-tlle stomach
lslsrgl" Clssping the Englishman's
Jag TO the Century's tank. We pass on
Led by a suhconscious association of
tdee.. which we leave 70 Professor
Muensterberg for analysis. We warn
those (and they be many who ere look
ing for a handbook man that they won't
find one in the pages Of this dictionary.
Turn We 10 more edifying words
''Chesty'' is here; IL is much older than
nost of Us know. And here's the fan
both baseball and police. ''Pantata,"
that gem from the muck heap Of the
Lexow investigation, is admitted, al
though It did not hold the public favor
long And. speaking OF muck, where is
the .'muckraker''? Surely. this is not
slang Bunyan gave il 10 Roosevelt.
Ger better credentials be asked? The
Supplement is too conservative in the
n,atter % slang. we think. Decidedly, the
panic Of 1907 gavs standing 10 the has
4-s-. 81