Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-20

Announcement by the American
Council Of Learned Societies Of forth
coming atlas of American dialects has
stirred less pointed comment than the
suggestion that some Of the choicest
colloquialisms which 1t will contain,
notably those of our "foist" city, are
now eligible to admission into the ex-
elusive society Of pure English.
Skepticism and even condemnation
are mingled with conservative approval
in the public discussion Of the purpose
of the American Council Of Learned
Societies to prepare q dialect atlas.
This project Is accompanied by the sug-
gestion that these dialects may become
authorized as parts of the correct
speech Of the people. but it Is on this
point that doubts arise.
Shades Of Chinmie Fadden" ex-
claims the Muncie Star. He used to
be linguistic jest. Now he's on the
road to becoming stark reality. Back
in the '90s Chimmie was the literary
representation Of the Bowery, and quite
the rage. He talked out of the side
Of his mouth. he wore shoitS-a very
spoity boy was Chimmie-his best gon
was q skoit and he certainly was q
bold. All this was humor then. But
than the linguistic exploits tell us that
Moo Yoikese Is attaining responsibility.
The 'oi' boys are coming into CONNER
cial, political and cultural Importance,
so the Loined Society's leaders say.
e The doity deal produces boist
Of indignation and is spoined by every
supporter Of decent speech"
The atlas, according to the Seattle
Daily Times, proposes to bound the
sections Of our country according to
their peculiaritieS Of speech-so sharply
defined, they declare, that one may
mark the boundary between the land
of the 'you-alls' and the I reckons' with
a thin line. The borderland OF New
England's nasality Is, they would have
us believe, as plain to the ear as its
colored limits on map are to the eye,
while the Midwestern use OF impressive
conSonantS ends as abruptly against
the carefree enunciation Of its next
westerly neighbor as its rolling plains
do when they meet the Rockies.
But the thing that the Far Westerner
may ponder over is what will happen
to him when this atlas Is published.
VIII our homeland be marked down
for those vocal imperfections and
clashes Of syntax with which fiction
has charged US? Shall the geographers
lend us their ears or proceed on hear
Say dI1u 11b I'D WAbAA oJAAobAOo AAOoS va
us have never heard outside Of cowboy
ballads? In cases Of the sort one may
fear the worst Maybe we ought to
approach the situation by asking for an
Injunction.
gion," declares the Springfield CMass)
Republican. "Ring Lardner gave US
one in you Know Me Al Peter
DUNES inimitable Mr.. Dooley was q
genial example. Milt Gross Yiddish
dialogues are another. Lowell's Big
low Papers are q classic record OF the
authentic Yankee dialect and Marietta
Holley's stories of Josiah Aliens wife
preserved the rural New York variety.
Joel Chandler Harris Uncle Remus
gave us a lasting record Of the planta-
ton Negro, and Mark Twain g subtle
study Of the variations OF speech OF the
pioneers of the Mississippi Valley. II
the diaIect-atlaS plan Is adopted, Its
compilers will have much valuable ma
terial to start with, but there Is mucn
that Is disappearing and that ought
to be captured before 1t Is too late"
The compilers are advised also by the
Kansas City Star that they "had better
h,Irry-or else move to China or India,
where they would find labor aplenty
for generations" In giving this advice,
the Star explains: "The motor car, the
public school, the newspaper and maya
zine, the railroad train and now the air