The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1919-02-07
DESTINED TO LIVE
Not All War Phrases Likely to Be
Forgotten.
sor7s Of Them Are WeIscme Additions
70 che Language, and Those That
Are Not viii Not Long
Retain Favor.

Ehe aItfal0 Express Appeals TOT
new war vocabulary. 1t cites six
phrases ir common use and declares
that they have been used so much that
they mean nothing. 1t demands that
writer's cudgel their brains to find new
phrases to take their places.
Here are the six phrases that have
occasioned this attack:
"Hun," "drlve." lover the top" do
ing your bit" carrying on" and
"strafe."
Though possibly all of these words
and to them should have been added
"Boche" and "camoutiage" at least
are being Overworked. there is much
to be said In their behalf, and most Of
them doubtless will stick till, In the
natural and unprecedented course OF
word manufacture. new ones develop
TO take their place, the Duluth Herald
observes.
And the main thing to be said for
them is that they are very useful, be-
cause every one of them expresses
poignantly an important thought. The
purpose of language is to convey
thought. Language that conveys a
thought most effectively to the most
people, especially at time when
clearness and definiteness of thought
are so important as now, Is the best
language to use.
"Hun" isn't likely to so out of use
so long as Americans remember Bel
GUM and northern France and the
bombing Of cities and the destruction
Of churches by long-distance guns and
the work of the submarine. Not to
speak of the rare availability OF the
word for the uses of head writer's, who
have helped to make 1t common. the
connotations of the word fit so &C
curately the common opinion OF the
character of the Germans as devel-
oped In this war that there is small
chance of its retirement.
"Over the top" has been worked
hard in the same connection. used aft
er a quota has been filed; and In that
sense WEAKNESS of 1t has led to its
gradual disuse. Moreover. there Is like
ly to be less trench warfare and more
war In the open henceforth. and as
"over the top" means leap of the at
lacking force out of Its trench this is
the phrase most likely 10 be dropped.
Yet its significance In stouthearted
valor and daring among those who
have gone "over the top" is so deep
that 1t will never be forgotten by them
or by us.
Doing your bit" II Is well enough
to retire. not because 1t has been over
worked. but because II has been mis-
understood. In Britain, where II start
ed, 1t means doing your share" 1t
doesn't mean doing "a little bit" II
means doing all you can. But our
sense of the word having that large
difference, 1t isn't a good phrase for
Us to use, and we should retire II on
a pension and substitute do your ut
most"
Garry on" another British phrase.
is splendldly and nobly Anglo-Saxon
and should not be sacrificed for any
consideration. When the British at
Mons and after were overpowered and
overwhelmed and outnumbered and all
but crushed by the enemy's superior
ity In strength and equipment they
simply carried on" and so made the
reversal at the Marine possible. What
ever betides. however black the hour
may grow. however hopeless the out
look may seem. 1t is the Angio-Saxon
habit to 'carry on" and the courage
and persistence II stands for have
plucked victory out Of many a defeat.
Garry on" will have won this war; so
let US. who share the same spirit with
our British cousins. never forget the
word and the spirit II stands for
"Strafe." being German. we could
spare readily enough, as well as the
spirit Of venom and hate that It sig
nlfies.
Words don't win or lose wars. Let
us launch our "drive" lover the top"
each man. "doIng bis Bit" aud let Us
-carry on" until we "strafe- the .Hun"
forevermore.