Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-11-10
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEH'ELL.

to be found in the novel under con-
sideration is down the phone"
Some character or other is forever
talking down the phone" instead Of
into the phone" as we say in this
country.
He became hoarse and naughty
down the phone"
; Just what gain there is in the substi-
tuition of down" for Into" or over"
the strictly American mind will not be
able to see. 1t is an interesting form,
however, and one which adds Just the
right touch OF strangeness to an English
story.
| Come to think Of it, there ought to
be some difference, even If slight, be-
tween novels written in America and
England. Perhaps there is no easier way
than this. 1t is impossible for two ma
tions, though speaking the same Ian
guage, to live so far apart without build
ing up slight differences in all their
ways of living.
/ Despite the nearneSs which radio and
other modern inventions have brought,
in a figurative sense, despite the fast
liners, there still remains some very real
miles between the two countries.
/ 1t Is natural to boast about the world
j being small, and how cur inventions
dwarf space as they do, indeed, in one
sense, but 1t is necessary to remember
that human nature remains much the
same today as 1t was many, many years
| ago.
| There will always be national differ
ences,, it seems TO some of US. despite
what claims are set up for information
alism. And among these perfectly nat
ural and normal differences the ones Of
languages are small, but very important
In Angel Pavement" one OF the
woman characters declares that she
| has umpteen things to do" This will
need no elucidation
Nor will ''dotty" perhaps 1t has
somewhat the meaning of our slang
Usage e crazy" in the sentence, He
is crazy about her"
4 Some of the more recent English
storiss substitute "potty' for 'dotty."
Just what determines the change in
such words is another mystery. Per-
.haps 1t is nothing more than the diff
\ ference between one school and an
/ other.
Instead OF saying that a place was
/ crowded, Priestley makes one of his
! characters use the phrase packed
/ out"
The stores were packed out with
people"
There is to be seen there another
I glimpse of that perspicaclty which dis
tinguishes the average Englishman's
usage of his own language.
Packed out" gives the idea. one
sees. of a store literally bullying out
ward people, SO many inside that there
! is an overflow
**s*
"Cor!" is one of those queer English
exclamatiCnS somewhat equivalent TO
| our "Gee!"
Both. no doubt. belong to that long
! list Of words which are plays on sacred
names Gee whilliEens." for instance
/ is declared BY the linguiSts TO be merely
some ones idea Of the way to utter
| ne name of Jesus without at tie same
time actually saying it. Tha list OF
these words is very long, and many Of
them are used in all innocence.
An interesting sentence in Angel
Pavement" is the following: ON the
pictures they called it a date. but Turgls
thought OF it as a point" We say in
the picture" We say date But Ger
tainly no American boy ever said he
had point"
The last interesting slang expression
we have garnered Is typical one. from
people who undoubtedly are not afraid
Of mistreating their own language. 1t
is the word "baddish" for not good,
poorly Some might think it no i'm
provement at all on bad" and per-
haps it isn't, and yet as used in Angel
Pavement" upon occasion it is very
effective