The Washington times., 1913-11-30
VAUDEVILLE HASITS
Own PRIVATE SLANG
Expressions Are Snappy and
Descriptive. Although Not
All Are Dainty.

Every calling. whether it's putting
caultfiower ears on an opponent in the
prize ring ,r NJ ntiIg DAINTY September
Aorns in an art studio. soon creates
tts own special brand of lingo. and
vaudeville actors are so adept at manu-
featuring language of their own that
1t will take an Esperantist to under
stand them IL the change goes much
further.
One reason for this may be that the
stars of the vaudeville heavens come
from such widely separated sources that
new language is really necessary to
enable them to understand each other.
Some of their expressions are nothing
If not dainty. while others would hard
ly be condoned in our best drawing
rooms. but all of them have the virtue
of being snappy and descriptive. and
they all ''get over the footlights" of
the hearers understanding.
This is nowhere better illustrated than
at the United Booking Offices. in the
Putnam Building, at 1893 Broadway.
New York city. where the celebration of
the thirtieth anniversary of the found
ing OF vaudeville by B. F. Keith is now
in progress.
Rivals Chatter.
Here one may see Loney Haskell
chaperoning Don, the talking dog, on
his way to an audience with the book
ing powers. Peter. the man-monkey,
chatters savagely at Don, his rival, as
they enter the elevator together. In
the same car going up is Dainty Marie.
she of the silk union suit and the fly
ing rings, chatting with Villa Holt
Wakefield, the most refined of pianol-
ogists.
Joe welch, Hebrew monoIogist,
swaps stories with Frank FogartJ, the
Dublin minstrel. and the cachinations
of Conroy. Lemaire, specialist in Ethi-
opian comedy. are heard as they enter
the building. Pretty Bessie Wynn says
howdy to Olga Nethersole, and Lynch
and Zeller, club swingers, remind Marie
Lloyd, in the entrance, that they played
on the same bill with her in Leeds.
'Odiva and the tutor. of the Diving
Seal follow closely after one another,
and an elephant trainer SCOTS at a ri
val who exhibits cockatoos and trained
cats. A pair of tumblers discuss falls,
while a wirewalker tells how an un-
tipped stagehand grabbed" his act in
San Antoine"
The oIdtimers cling to "bo" and :'cul''
and pal in their greetings But the
youngsters prefer "old dear" and
sweetheart"
How did you go in Syracuse?' asks
one.
.'They fell for me like a peal of thun-
der" is the reply.
Getting 1t Over.
Pm gettin' it over all right, but
that skirt has put jinx on me-" COM
plains a song and dance man, and his
companion says, sagely, Them danes
never knows when they're hitched up
right; can 'em at tn first holler Is my
motter.''
This is by no means the general man
ner of speech. but there is sufficient
of il to engage the wayfarer's atten-
ton. As a matter Of fact. the majority
of vaudeville artists speak with crisp,
clear enunciation, and use excellent
English as a result of their training In
the two-a-day, where vague diction Is
an abomination.
II you are a vaudeville fan" just
loiter in the entrance of the Putnam
building any week day, and in the
course of a few hours hundred q
your favorites will pass in or out. II
is the Mecca Of variety.
A highly specialized Slang is spoken
here, the vocabulary of vaudeville be-
ing elaborate and tersely expressive.
A hit is always a riot" while fiasco
is a''fop." To be jeered from the gal
lery is getting the bird" but to be ap-
plauded vociferously is to clean up
A woman who works all by herself Is
a ..singie woman" Two women work
ing together are SISTER act" An act
in which no word is spoken, as in Jug
Cling and acrob>tic turns. is @>ib
act" The position of an act on the bill
is the spot Vulgar. slap-stick COM
edy is "jasbo,' "hokum'' or gravy"
Vaudeville is the best paid profession
on earth.
Sara Bernhardt was paid 5000 per
week for an act Ethel Barrymore is
paid 6. 900 for each week she plays.
There are many artists getting $3.50,
and many more draw down 1000. Scores
of acts are paid $1,000 or better. and
hundreds run from $500 to $1,000. There
are more than 1000 acts recognized
as first class or standard.
Like the, circus, vaudeville is made
up of thrifty. clean-living people. The
pace is too fast for much dissipation.
The vaudeville artist without a hefty
bank account is a rare bird. Many OF
them have fortunes in six figures.