Evening star., 1935-08-18

monial" linked securely together.
Another weed that most men seem to look
upon as very pretty flower, but one that is
held in adherence in the fashionable world,
is Mrs. followed by a woman S christian name
1t is true, of course, that the intense social
prejudice against Mrs. Mary comes down to
us from the day when Mrs. John Jones was
the lady who lived in the big house and gave
many parties, and Mrs. Maggie Smith lived
over in Shanty Town and took in washing,
and they were in two completely separated
social circles.
To make fuss then about being tagged
with name that has for generations been
associated with working women wouldn't
seem to make much sense. Yet generations of
inherited prejudice against the social tabu
of Mrs. Mary" is still as strong as it ever was.
1t is so strong that, when society reporter
writes OF the Presidents mother as Mrs.
Sara Roosevelt, he not only proclaims to
every discriminating reader that he himself
knows no better, but he practically announces
that Mrs. Saras social advantages have
been conspicuousy absent - whereas the
truth is that they could not have been greater.
The name should be written, Mrs. James
Roosevelt. or possibly, Mrs. Roosevelt Senior
Professional women, known to the public by
their own first names combined with their
married last names, can not avoid being
known as Mrs. Ruth Pratt, Mrs. Edith
Wharton. Mrs. Mary Roberts Rinehart and
so on. But for the bad taste of Mrs. Sara
Roosevelt, Mrs. Grace Coolidge, Mrs. Anne
Lndbergh. there is no excuse.
The other tabus appearing in print and
heard over the radio are mild by comparison:
and Others. again, which the dictionary abhors
have always held very best social position. So
how far then can misuse be approved2
For instance, there are awfully. meaning
very; divine. meaning pleasant or pretty or
attractive; it's me instead of it is standing
at your door - all weeds of the language
tolerated by best usage and even found
pleasing. Sophisticated. formal. divine. and
glamorous are chosen by the moderns who are
cultivating them and finding them beautiful
not at all for what they are but for what
they are not.
And again the question is, does it matter so
much whether they are right. since each
seems to serve very satisfactory purpose to
millions who thoroughly agree about their
meaning1 To how many Of us does sophis-
ticated person mean lone who falsely reasons
with malicious intent to deceive?" Or to how
many of us does sophistcation denote worldly
wisdom, distinction and discriminating judg
ment2 How much does it really matter
whether or not divine is suitable to describe
anything from good time to pretty frock or
beguiling puppy?
After all, the purpose of words is to convey
ideas, and if word means to our hearers
exactly what we intend it should, then what
more can be asked1 According to common
sense the answer is nothing" But according
to best taste, must hold to the point that
avoidance of the real tabus of speech is
essential because all people of high cultivation
have for generations shared these identical
prejudices.
Therefore, the speech of each one of US
proclaims that we too have inherited or
acquired knowledge of these same tradi-
tions, or that we haven't. Though accents
vary much in different sections of our country,
certain cosmopolitan standards of cultivated
speech are universal. Best English, as spoken
by King George, is not in any of the X-ray
findings different from best American as
spoken by President Roosevelt. Both use
simple words, Saxon by preference, clearly
and naturally enunciated.