Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1919-03-15
DESTINED TO LIVE
Not All War Phrases Likely to Be
Forgotten.
Some of Them Are Welcome Additions
to the Language. and Those That
Are Not viii Not Long
Retain Favor.

The Buffalo Express appeals for a
new war vocabulary. 1t cites six
fnrases In 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" drive" "over the top" do
lag your bit" carrying on" and
"strafe."
Though possibly all Of these words
and to them should have been added
.lB0che" and "camoufage" at least
are being overworked. there is much
to be said ia their behalf, and most of
them doubtless we'll stick till, In the
Natural and unprecedented course OF
word manufacture. new ones develop
10 take theirafiace.+ 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
thought most effectively to the most
people. especially at time when
c,earness and definiteness of thought
are so important as now, is the best
language to use.
Hun" isn't likely to 60 out OF use
so long as Aaaesieans remember Bel
GUM and northern France and the
bombing Of cities and the destruction
of churches by long-distance guns and
tie 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
eurately 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 quota has been filed; and in that
sense WEAKNESS of it has led to its
gradual disuse. Moreover. there is like
" 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 to be dropped.
Yet its Significance In stOuthearted
valor and daring among those who
have gone lover the top" Is SO deep
that it will never be forgotten by them
OF by us.
Doing your bit" It Is well enough
To retire not because II has been over
worked. but because 1t has been mis-
understood. In Britain. where 1t start
ed. it means 'doing your share" 1t
doesn't mean doing "a little bit" 1t
aeans doing all you can. But our
sense of the word having that large
difference. 1t isn't good phrase for
us to use, and we should retire it on
pension and substitute do your ut
most"
Garry on" another British phrase,
Is splendidly and nObiy AnglO-Saxon
AID should not be sacrificed for any
consideration. When the British at
Mons and after were OverpOwered and
overwhelmed and Outnumbered and all
hut crushed by the enemy's superior
ity in strength and equipment they
stmply carried on" and so made the
reversal at the Marne possible. What
ever betides, however black the hour
may grow. however hopeless the out
look may seem, it is the Anglo-Saxon
habit to 'carry on" and the courage
aud persistence 1t stands for have
piucked victory out of many a defeat.
Garry on" will have won this war; so
lei us. who share the same spirit with
our British cousins. never forget the
word and the spirit 1t stands for
''Stcnfe." being German, we could
spare readily enough. as well as the
spirit OF venom and hate that it sig
uities.
Words don't win or lose wars. Let
us launch our "drive" "over the top"
each man doing his Bit" and let us
''carry on" until we "strafe" the Hun"
forevermore