The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-06-29
In New York
ny PAUL HARRISON


OF semi.pro slanguist who likes to
go around jotting down items Of
queer jargon, thought ] had
fairly complete glossary OF terms
used by musicians.
I knew SNAKE charmer" 10
an oboe, O wood pile" zylophone.
q phone booth" bass fiddle. and
african harp" q banjo--and most
OF the other quaint terms used BY
the towns pleasantly mad playboys
to Identify the tools OF their pro.
| fession.
But after discussing slang with
Carl Hoff, the orchestra leader
and arranger. I better appreciated
what great deal musician has
to know besides the mere me-
chanics OF operating an instru-
ment. Not even O Heifetz or a
Monuin would be Of much val0e
to a broadway band until he had
learned the language.
Eortlssimo
incidentally. any newcomer TO
an orchestra Is called 1.-THE hrst
Of May" Don't ask me why. Don't
ask Carl, either. There are q few
terms which no logical explana.
tion--such as ION the cob"
"corny" and Joe McGee," all OF
which pertain to obsolete methods
of Interpreting popular music.
Then there's "tin ear" meaning
musician who cannot improvise.
but methodically follows the nu.
sic set before him.
A DOWNRIGHT man" Is chron-
icaily late musician, one who slips
into his place at the last second.
II his place happens to BIO In the
violin section, he's In the largo
department" II he loses his place
In the music. and has to stop
playing until he Aocates Il, he's
'In a twist" II he strikes q sour
note it's called q "clinker."
There are a good many terms
for different rhythms. "Huckle-
ty-buck" Is Notwithstanding
like business mans tempo" which
| Is q rapid rendition based on the
Idea that middle-aged customers
rrefsr the spryer tunes. "up coun.
| try" IL music Of the "Turksy.in-
the Straw" type, and may easily
turn into q "ciambake" The latter
In u musical free.for-all IN which
each man toots at will but tries TO
retain some semblance OF har-
mony.
A "long hair" is q pit musician
in a legitimate theater. when an
empioyo receives less than the
stimulated union wage, he Ii said
10 be paid In E.flat. who's got tho
ball?" Is the question asked when
everybody's harmonizing and mo-
body seems TO be playing the
melody. An unapplauded solo 10
known as u silent success.
Hobo Express
Probably the least comprchen.
slve OF all occupational languages
is spoken In Hobohemina--and you
must grant that hoboing is at least
an occupation, II not profession.
The Bowery Is still full Of them.
transient and resident, punks
| (boys) and rynos, dynos' and ding
bats told bums). punk" by the
way. also is the term for a loaf
| OF bread.
A "banjo" Is frying pan; n
telescope" a nested set OF tin
cans of different sizes ussd for
| cooking In the city's vacant-iot
'junglcs." Any mattress. be 1t soft.
est down or merely mound OF
wadded new spapers Is hip.
pins" Any blanket Is "sougan.
az, soria" Is the word for mess
OF potatoes, first boiled, then fried.
The "bindie stiH" rare In New
| York, Is the bum who carries
bindle--not a bundle--of clothing
and bedding.
The '.lin, stiff" spends all his
days patronizing the bread lines.
while the EMISSIONS stiff" works
the city missions and wins poth
bed and board. I'm told that
down-and-out actors often become
mission stiffs. because they are
able to spell-bind prayer meet
ings with dramatic accounts Of
their jousts with the devil and
their real or imagined salvation.
Almost invariably they're Stunned
by Jealous fellow good-for-noth-
ings because they SO often become
religious fanatics and make quite
a good thing out Of preaching.
Entertaining Lingo
Carnival and medicine-show
slanguage is something else again.
Suckers are identified as 'jags'
| and clerks and s'iunks." Trim
ming victim IL called making
a sting" and it's a big sting" q
they get an entire bundle OF
scratch" or roll OF bills. A ''red
one" Is a good town In which there
are plenty OF Jerks"
But when the finks play them
the point they must take Il on the
Duffy or submit to q snatch.
mean--when squealers call IN the
authorities It's necessary 20 skip
town or 70 10 jail. Pickpoekets
call q mans watch pocket the
Wells Fargo. q difficult place for
member 81 the "whls mob" OF
plckporket. 70 reach. And when
word 10 passed that there's ~