Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-10-14
It Has Gotten His Goat.

limited way and without violence, made
myself critic OF English through the
means of the printed letter, have been
appealed to. Not to settle a bet, but
simply to inform the appellant whether
the form "got" or "gotten" is to be pre-
ferred as the past participle of "get."
Just for illustration, read the heading
at the top of this article, and decide for
Yourself whether it sounds like real
slapgy, colloquial United States. Isn't
1t rather hybrid, made by grating
somew bat stilted form into pure Amer
icsnism of the crop of nineteen.steenP
However, can't answer the question
asked me without more authorities than
are available. 1t is simply Q question OF
good usage, that is, of what is good
usage, and to decide that, q person must
be widely read and have a volume OF
inform alton himself, or be able to use
the information which Is in the posses
sion of some one else.
Some persons who are very careful In
their speech, and never permit them
selves to degenerate into the Inaccurate
and slipshop style Of which most OF US
are more or less guilty, are particular
always to say gotten" and never use
the shorter II not uglier form. As one
man expressed himself to me some time
since, II hate that word gotP
Perhaps a prejudice against the form
got may be caused by the fact that 1t Is
misused where it is superfuous, or
pleonsstic, thousands OF times every
day. As for instance, that now Oft
repeated inquiry made of the grocer,
"Have you got any sugar" ana the
reply which is only occasionally hearo,
81 have got little brown sugar; you
can have q quarter of pound" In
these sentences the got is supeif1uous
and Objectionable. This misuse is one
of the commonest faults OF our American
speech.
To be sure, there may be opportunity
to draw nice distinction between the
right and wrong use of the word. One
NAV say, II have got the fu," or II
have got basket of trout" and be both
accurate and truthful, meaning that be
| has ACQUIRED them by some process OF
getting, either in the one case by absorb
Inc the germs of the disease, or in the
other by the use of bis own hook and
line or in some other way known to fish-
ermen. But il he says, " have got
rich uncle" or II have got long arms"
be speaks of that which be has not
acquired by any process, but which has
been besto wed upon him by Providence,
and the "got" Is upeIfuous.
To get back to the question of author
tiles, which we dropped q stickful or
more above, the unabridged dictionaries
are naturally the first books TO be con-
suited, We find that both the Standard
and the Webster give "got" as the first
form. "potten" as the second. No other
distinction is made, except that one OF
them, after the form "got," has the
parentbetical explanation, "(especially
in u. Sy". This would indicate that the
short form 10 to some extent an Ameri-
canism. and that the other perhaps has
more favor In England. Yet the illus
trstions given in the dictionaries, where
in the psrticiple Of get Is used, all use
the form "got," and they are mainly
quot tatiops from some OF the great
authors of England.
No other authorities are available at
present, and people can safely be lett to
the exercise of their own taste.
Incidentally there occurred an incident
some years ago which scores point
against the longer and possibly more
precise form. A suburbanite and his
better half In the morning OF fne day
considered attending the theater In the
evening, and after Mr.. Suburbanite ar
rived in town he sent telegram to bis
wife, that being in the days before the
present development OF the telephone.
The telegram being delivered to Mrs.
Suburbanite, she opened 1t and read,
"Have got ten tickets for the theater to-
night"
free expenditure, but greatly enj'ying
the prospect OF q tbeater party OF. that
size. she Immediately got busy among
the neighbors, and quickly found eight
of them who were not In the least averse
to accepting the Invitation OF the SUD-
rbauites for the evening.
That is ell there 10 to the story, exceps
that Mrs. Suburbanite at later hour
discovered that her husband was one OF
tbo.e purists who always use the longer
| form, and the telegraph bad done the
ALECK