South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-07-22
PICTURESQUE IS
TOMMY SLANG
Hospital Orderly Tells of New
Tongue of Trenches -
Rhymes His Words.
IntsrnaronaI -. -


new crop Of slang has come into
force IN the British army during the
past year. They have taken the
place OF "bhghty" and the rest OF
the picturesque synonyms that were
uppermost a year or so ago. a hos
pital orderly writes about them as
follows:
There is a brand Of cheap Gig
arets, popular in the army. known
by the name OF Singles 10 Working.
The allusion enwrapped in this mild
witticism Is typical Of the oblique
mischievOusness which Characterizes
the best OF Tommy's slang Tommy
has a passion for what one might
cali the psuelo- grumble. lie is a
grouser who doesn't mean his grous
ing 20 be taken seriously.
Having served for two years as
an orderly in a war hospital / may
claim 20 speak with some assurance
OF that lovable. absurd. CHEEKY NAL
content, the British soldier. / have
heard him crack Jokes about a tim
Der shortage. for instance. Can YOU
guess why2 Because he had found
out that officially he was on what Is
known as the Danger List (and let
me say that only a hero could crack
Jokes when in such a ieate as TO be
on the Danger List) and was vOic-
ing the charming theory that he
might be 'bilked Of a coffin. That is
our fearless and macab re Mr. Atkins
all over. Another OF his war hospital
pleasantries Is 10 announce that he
is going 70 the pictures. This is
the regular phrase for the visit 20
the operating theater. And isn't it
rather hne?
Rhymes His SLANG.
"But I wish Tommy would rid
himself OF his habit OF using rhym
ing SLANG. II Is a curse. this vast list !
OF synonyms which, I can only sur
mise. originated somewhere far back |
IN the thieves Latin of the tramp |
Both the old army and the new are /
in the thraldom of the inane lingo. |
Chevy chase means face, mince /
arm. almond rocks means socks, /
daisy root means boot. 1 could I
(for may sins) continue the dismal /
catalog down n column.
ssHeaven forbid that I should per /
petuate such a monument OF sill. !
ness: but. indeed. / fear that the /
rhyming Slang fashion is all too /
deeply established. our recruits are
carving it far and wide. and its
entry into the civilian language will /
be one Of the least satisfactory /
souvenirs Of Armageddon.
AT the hospitals. either In the
wards or the recreation room. the
collector Of outre nelOgisms would /
have a happy hunting ground. Pass
the ooiah'. says the one armed man
who Is playing billiards. What Is the
oofah7 The Oojah is any object in
heaven or earth: il is the thing
which has no name or the name OF
which you have mOmentarily for
gotten. The one armed man, about
10 make his stroke, requires the
little twisted wire bridge, mounted 4
on a lead pedestal, that forms the
cues rest whiCh-pOOr chap!-he
oueht 10 have formed with his lost 4
hand. SO he demands the oojah,
which is army for what d'ye-call-it.
And his opponent. whose face is so
disfgured that he mas had TO be
given a moulded mask TO cover part
of II. dubs his mask his oojah.
Some Choice Ones.
s.Ooiah may come from the east
with 'cushy', and 'bughty', and
sbondook' Ga rife). and 'Sieda'
(good morning). and 'burgoo' (por-
ridge). and a host OF other jolly syE
onvms. But where did click and
.r11rnh le' originate To he rumbled
Is 20 be found out: yca may be
.r1rrnbIed swinging the lead, which
means that your shamming or
shfrking Is detected But II YOU ap-
nrv for a soft job and obtain II.
Won have clicked. Again. you may
'soruce'. The verb TO spruce IS OBJ
.cure. hut one NAV illustrate its en-
ployment by mentioning that II
var hospital convalescent who
should be useful washing dishes or
cIaonin0 knives for his ward sister
,,s,isbes with the design OF evading
these responsibilities. ne is sPruclns-
In other words. he Is doing a mike
on his return sister win doubtless
tick him Off. or his comrades give
him the bird Doubly this will BE the
case n he has been observed atar IN
cofloouv with 'pusher' tgirD. and
IS suspected Of 'chancing his mt
(s,,inning a far fetched yarn) or
telling a sob story.
And as 7 go about my hospital
duties in the midst Of this babel or f.
metaphor which has come not onl> /
from all over the British Isles. but /
from India and the colonies tto say /
nothing OF ma poo and the rest OF [
the harvest from France), I wonder /
whether my native tongue will ever /
be the same again. For have reeleo .
beneath the assault OF O.-Henry isns /
IN View York. and I remember with (
grim anticipation that America. too /
has entered the war. and her troops \
are also 20 miugle not only their f
blood but their hewilderine idiom +
with ours a formidable prospect /
for there is no disease more catch I.
ing than slang"