Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-12-24
APPROVES
OF SOME KINDS OF SLANG
o'shea Tells salemites What He Be-
lieves Is Acceptable and Not Ac-
ceptable in Conversation.
SENSIBLE PERSON WILL
ADAPT SPEECH TO OCCASION
Put You Wise" "she's Pippin"
and ION the Square" All Right,
But "Guy" Is Coarse.


That the California reporter who
quoted him virtually as "just doting on
slang" to some extent "handed him a
lemon, was in effect a statement made
by M. v. O'Shea, professor of education
in the University Of Wisconsin, and
noted philologist and etymologist, who
spoke at the meeting Of the Oregon State
State Teachers Association yesterday.
Professor O'Shea does believe in GER
tain slang words and phrases, but he re.
serves the right to select them.
"I must be my own censor Of slang"
declared the educator, "before I am
given credit for advocating it. Often
sive slang, ribaldry and rubbish | GER
tainly cannot recommend. But there
are certain slang words and phrases
which are effective, and which in their
place will become a part Of our Ian
guage, just as certain words that are
regarded as good English were once in
the slang category. Many words used
by Shakespeare were unconventional in
his day, but usage has put the seal Of
approval upon them.
"A sensible person will adapt his
speech to the occasion the same as he
will his dress. When with comrades
our speech would be called stupid if we
did not use words in common At for.
nal meetings--in a parlor, for instance,
where there are ladies and gentlemen
it might be well to eschew slang.
Child's Speech Strong.
"a child uses strong figures of
speech which are unconventional, and
when not offensive, satisfy the needs
of the young and are unobjectionable." "
Asked to give slang words and
phrases which he approved and disap.
Iproved, the professor said:
u Not on your life is o. X. I like
on the level and he's a good sport.
q have bid to party seems all right
to me,
''There is nothing wrong with she s
a peach or she S a pippin. Take to
the tall timber is fine expression to
my way of thinking. Put you wise
and on the square, are expressive and
not inelegant,
Guy is offensive and should new
er be used, There's nothing out of the
way with fade away Don't forget
that forget it is first rate.
I" Bats in ones belfry' is not good.
I rather like the ring to it, too, by
George, but perhaps it is out of tune
with our language, II has a good swing
though.
"No, cannot approve pass the
buck 1t is not elegant; it is often.
siyc to the ear
New One" Encountered.
"What do l thing cf getting tho
gravyV Wen, that 3 new one on me.
what does it meant Coping the coin,
eh1 Another new one. thing l diap.
prove both; they are harsh,
Making good has my sanction,
Going back in the sense Of person
losing his efficiency, is fine and | like
pipe for see, but cannot approve pipe
tho guy, for guy is not in my diction'
ary of slang,
90 'Bonehead' is offensive while
solid ivory, as applied to n Ounce, is
good,
r''Put IL across isn't bad and 1t 5
a cinch is strong, we should worry
win hardly pass muster, but hes off
his trolley is great, 'Stung' l like a
great deal,
! "Thcre can be nothing wrong In us
ing slang words that we know will be
lcgitinAtized by usage and then there
are slang words and expressions Which
muy he all right for the young-dynam'
ic expressions would i'll become
older persons, "
Professor O'Shca made no reference
to slang in his address TO the teachers,