Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06
''Graham
McNamee
Speaking"
McNaf1lee

less alarming if the word impact were
used instead of 'wallop,' if that is what
YOU meant? In fact, much OF your dis
course was quite un-understandable to
us. and it happened that both my
cousin and I specialized in English at
Simmons College in Boston, and we
think we recognize English when 1t is
spoken
It was a long letter, the rest of 1t in
the same vein. Soon afterward, I re-
ceived letter from a Newark manu-
facturer reproaching me for not l1Ven-
ing up my announcements OF musical
events.
You talk too much like professor,
he wrote. st like you best when you
get to work on foot ball game or
prize fight" have selected these two
letters from hundreds to indicate the
wide range of taste, understanding and
interest among millions of radio fans.
On the whole, there Is a more general
acceptance, at least of the more decor
Gus language of the sports world and
there is less objection to easy-going and
colloquial and perhaps bit Slangy de-
ScriptionS than there is the two dollar"
words, which sometimes get into a
musical broadcast. I should say that,
on the whole, there is somewhat less
latitude in radio diction than there is
in newspaper writing. AS to general
phraseology, without reference to par
ticular words. radio benefits somewhat
by the fact that there are two distinct
languages-print language and voice
language. This might be questioned
by some language shark, but what I
mean is that there is a technique and
art in spoken language, quite independ-
ent from writing rules, which gives an
opportunity for quick, vivid description
which may leak out when it gets on
| paper. Radio is fostering and develop
ing this art.
Sometimes I get brick-bats done up
| in baby ribbon, and bouquets tied up
with barbed wire. I get letters from
high-doomed professors, giving the i'm
preston that they think my stuff is
swell, but intimating that ought to be
put in Jail for the way pronounce this
or that. I get letters from other pro-
| feSsors, calling me on something, but
congratulating me on avoiding the de
plorable gaucheries of the early stages
of radio broadcasting of them
actually swung that one on me. Here
| is one, from an entirely different source,
showing how radio is stirring new curl
osity in unexpected places:
| Some guys were listening to the
radio down at Kliegs cigar store Mon
day night and you shot a big earful
about some bird named Tschaikowsky.
Somebody said afterward you said he
was q Russian and another guy said
you said he was frog. This other gin
ney got all souped up over it, and that
started big argument, and some of us
almost got gloughed. Finally we went
down to a beanery, where the bean
clerk keeps pen and ink, and we take
pen in hand to ask you please who this
bimbo was. Myself, I'm betting he's
French. We got lot of bets up on
this, so please give us the works on this
TSchaikowsky."
So you see, a radio announcer has to
be thinking both of Miss So and So of
Buxton and her cousin Sophronisba,
and the gang down at Klieg's cigar
store. Maybe some kind of new Ian
guage will come out Of all this In q
hundred years or so.
- 1CopyTiGht. 1924 s