The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-03
| shud sob, but

few years it'll name exactly tn opposite. an no
wan can tell why Some iv tn best wurruds in
IN language dhreadiu slang at wan time.
n tact IS, nc SAYS, all wurruds was Slang in
kind ~ way whn they started Wan IN ye'cr
ANCESTORS frightens hen an secs she's left
something tn ground He pints a, it an cx
claims in surprise Egg" He happens 10 be
man Nv standin' in tn community havin kilt
lot " people with his stone Ratchet, an fellow
VINO hears him an wants to be in style cries
Egg ivry time he sees tn hropy, an so it goes
ontil an egg is egg vrywhere English is spoke.
But tn Fr-rnch calls it a oof," which shows
that whin tn first Fr-rnchman see wan he started
hack in alarm an cried Oofw
Now says Hogan, suppose ye'cr revercd
ancesthor had happened to use some other exc!y-
nation lssintyally.' says he. an egg is no more
entitled to be called an egg thin arm. We're used
to eggs beiH' called eggs, an we think tn name
describes thin, but if OF Granpa Stone Hatchet
Dooley had said Club we'd be ordhrin' scram-
bled CLUBS at tn prisint minyt. Father Kelly
says he can reminder whin tn wurrud scen-
list was slang. Tn fellow that first used it was
looked down on as low an vulgar, an whin he
sprung 1t famous grammaryan tainted an
slv'ral ladies left tn room. But today tn most
innocint might say it without blush It's as
good wurrud amy an is often used about
dentists an prize fighters
Slang is experimental in language says
Hogan. If slang wurrud sticks it don't take
it long to lift its impydint head amongst wurruds
that has Image as far back as Chaucer (if
have tn name iv his frnd right If we didn't
use wurruds that was slang three hunciherd years
4otI..
But people wud be surprised if they knew where
most iv tn slang they comes firm. I'll let yc
into tn secret, he says. 1t comes firm tn
thieves, They invint language to conceal thought
tr'm tn polls. Afther long time a posn1an
catches thief an larns slang wurrud firm hl1l
In copper tells it to a reporther, who prints it
in his pa aper. theatrical manager reads it an
has play wrote around it, A pretty girl hears
1t an tells it to potc an tn pote puts it into
pome. A fellow that's gettin' up dtchnry sees
it in tn pome an sticks it into his book an afther
that it's part iv tn offcya language an is sill
dom niver used in tn ballroom or on tn stage
says Hogan.
Me own idee is that we ought to be more
careful in tn use iv this gr-reat gift to our
favored nation. We ought to masther it SOS to
be able to keep up with new authors an to con-
varse with tn young. Nanny nisundher-
standin' has arose between father an son because
tn parent was careless an didn't go out nights to
tn language classes in tn billyard academies.
But wud like to see our chats sprnkled here an
there with wurruds aged month or two In me
own talk with you I thry to employ on'y tn
purest English, as ye nay've noticed sildotn
dhrop into slang EXCEPT whn TIL situation de-
mands it. This bein so, an tn night is wanin'
an tn houriv midnight fast approaches, an tn
price iv gas is high wud feel obliged to ye if "a
wud go chase ye'erslf"
tcopy4sht 1875 By Finley Peter Duane, =;