Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-05-11

taste ever so
much better ..cw..,So
when you call
them cocktails. Especially II
YOU manage TO slur il a little
and make il sound like cock
tails"
1t was language, by the way.
that baffled Lee Anderson when
the Hollywood Caravan was
here, but the phrase that sent
him off into a corner muttering
TO himself was this description
OF night club press agent:
"He is," said one of the movie
people, "just q walking "a sheet
for the 81 Club"
"They just speak q different
language" Anderson insisted.
adding that there was only one
thing that he really absorbed
that everybody Ii either . punk
or n right guy" with no in
between grades.
Which probably is true OF
Hollywood, where they talk in
colossal millions or wall that
they are completely broke. And
speaking of that. you might be
surprised at how empty the stars
< pockets often are.
Jimmy Cagney. Joan Blondell.
Juanita Stark and Pat O'Brien
ent over to Canada to make a
charity appearance. and were
accompanied by a retinue of
photographers, publicity men
and so forth.
At the toll gate, they started
going through their pockets to
find some money. Every pocket
in the crowd was empty as
Nazi promise. Finally lCagney
found $40 bill that he'd tucked
fway somewhere, and saved the
day.
To get hack to language, Jim
Welsh was RECALLING us ut lunch
alph Thomas, william Brush
and Mrs Welsh-with some
stories of northern Michigan In
the lumber camp days
The method of greeting n
stranger was TO catch him rs he
walked into q saloon. A couple
Of huskies would pick him up,
one hold each leg, turn him up
side down and shake.
Whatever money fell out OF
his pockets would be tossed ON
| the bar to buy drinks for the
house. Any change left over
would be given back to the
stranger.
II ne complained about IL. he'd
be put down as n punk. or what
ever term was I'm use then. IL he
didn't complain, he was right
guy.
We assume that that was
how the word "shakedown"
began.
The expression stool pigeon"
Is of Michigan origin. Welsh
says, and 1t comes from Mus
kegon.
Uncountable focks of pigeons
used 10 be shot by hunters until,
Hike many other things, the birds
became extinct. The particular
hunting ground was a place
called Pigeon Hill.
The favorite trick was to tie
q few pigeons 10 small benches
or stools and set them out, as
live decoys for the flying focks.
When the cries OF the tied
pigeons attracted the wild birds.
the hunters fired into them.
Hence-stool pigeons, although
the meaning has been somewhat
hanged.
III you knew enough about II,
you probably could tell what
part OF the country . person
came from by the way he uses
words. as well as by his accent.
I'm Ontario. for instance, the
word "out" IL pronounced loot, I"
and q Canadian never loses II,
sifhough he may erase every
cther vocal sign. We heard Bud
sschuItz say loot" and for the
'ua OF II asked him, How long
i-ce you left Canada"
Bud looked surprised and said
at he'd been born there but
nd left at an extremely early
&c. He insists that we just
7fagined that ne said FOOT" and
hat it's impossible for him 70
ave even the vestige Of a Cana
Ian accent.
However, we say he has. We
,dn't even know that he'd ever
cen I'm Canada. Just heard that
ne word .eetn and guessed.
Take also synonyms foT
porch In some localities lite
re veranda, the piazza. or the
ront stoop. We also knew q
rofessor who could spot any
ndisnan by the pronunciation
M the letter ~" which in Ind.
ma has an Ecu" sound like thu
French az"
We will leave the discussion Of
ne language OF the South. New
England snc Brooklyn for the
|uture, u We ever get IN IN.
mood again. Which Is doubtful