Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-27
unusual degree, as every competitor has

unusual degree, as every competitor has
succeeded in attracting the assistance OF
his or her friends. The test is to give
four examples of proper names of speci-
fled persons that have undergone trans
ference and become common words,
slang or otherwise, and four names
similarly treated from fiction. From the
results now published certain reflections
may be drawn. One is the re-
markable invulnerability of the English
language to such attacks from hc,ion-
Camp, Pander. Tam-o'-Shanter, BenedlcA'
Philander and QuiNotic seem to be the
only ones that will really stand strict
scrutiny-the only words. that Is 10 say,
that are so imbedded in the language
that they don't betray themselves by d
capital letter. Mythology and the classics
are barred. .
OF the examples | have mentioned 1t
will be seen that Shakespeare yields two,
Dickens one. Burns one, and the others
are exoticS from Ariosto and CerVahtes
Bundle almost qualifies-"B umbledom
has come to stay. Don Juan, Shylock
and Mrs. Grundy are in general accept
ance as representing certain qualities,
but, unlike Quixote. they have not got
SO far that people have forgotten their
origin and accept their derivatives.
Some Modern Examples.
The only modern examples suggested
are Tribes the slang for feet from
Du Maurier's heroine Trilby. who kept
her feet uncovered, and Mr.. Barrie $
tiresome Little Mary" 1t will be in
teresting to see if they outlast their gen
Grafton To these cinderella" dance
that ends at II o'clock. might be added.
Real persons, on the other hand. have
coIonized the language. Boycott, Burke,
Lynch, Gullotine, Hanson, Brougham,
CO. Ixxyich Macintosh t8tOnmQrS Glad
stone, Garibaldi, Peeler, Pinchbeck,
Bowdler Macadam, Martinez and Ches-
terrified are few of the best known
Perhaps the most delightful example is
silhouette. 1t came from Etienne de Sill
houette, a French prime minister of
finance in 1859, famous for his parsimony.
Any cheap novelty was styled la Sill
houette and SO the method of portraiture
by tracing the shadow of a face on a
sheet of white paper received and pre-
served his name for world that never
heard of Etienne de Silhouette Another
word with an astonishing pedigree is
''maudlin," which, according to Cham
bers. means "silly. fuddled, fearful" etc.
The origin is the penitent Mary Magda-
lene. l may add that the easiest way to
discover such interesting things is to be
and to know yourself TO be a bad
speller.
Additions to Museum.
The new London Museum is attracting
curiosities constantly. The cells in the
old courthouse in Wellclose Square have
been bought by Guy Laking and carted
to Kensington, where they will house
criminal relics in the London Museum
They were stout oak rooms. the walls
studded with bolts and letters still hang
ing although it is long since the place
was a prison. Latterly it has been either
a German club or a dosshouse. Formerly
il was the sessions court for the liberty
of the tower. The square front tall that
is left now Mr.. Laking has transplanted
the chamber of horrors, together with
the fine oak staircase) promises no ro-
nance inside. 1t is a low-browed house
in soiled stucco, resembling an elderly
chapel Probably it never harbored pris-
oners more interesting than DRINKS and
petty thieves. but there are pretty super
stitions lowering round it. The marine
store dealer next doom tells you that
they used to bring the condemned pris-
oners here from the tower by an under
ground way. There never was a really
good legend without an underground
passage in it.
Mr.. Laking dates the house late seven
teenth century. Wellclose Square. one
feels, might well produce surprises even
more thrilling than a restoration gaoi.
Whitechapel has overlooked it now, but
1t was once home of dignified peace
where magnates lived out of the stir of
the city. And earlier than that it was
Marine Square, haunt of sea officers.
In the middle, where now dingy school
hides behind hoardings, was the seven
teenth century church for the Danish
sailors, built by the King of Denmark.
Smith was minister. There is another
queer square a little deeDer in White