Preface.
The object of this essay is to examine vulgarism and slang in the works of Jerome K. Jerome (b. 1859).
Jerome gives us very good specimens of the ordinary language of the Victorian era. His style is not surprisingly original, but he shows a remarkable talent in rendering with perfect accuracy the characteristic talk of different classes of society. The persons he introduces to us need only utter a few words, before we are able to form a conception of their social position, their degree of culture, etc.; very often we get in this manner a clue also to their character. The author has led an exceptionally varied life—in his early years he was at different times a clerk, a teacher, an actor, a journalist. He had, accordingly, frequent opportunities of communicating with individuals of different social position and different culture, and of studying their language. He does not aim at grammatical peculiarities, elaborate phrases, or rare expressions; his language is the average language of his own time, acutely observed and faithfully rendered. Giving us thus a true and varied image of the talk of different classes and trades, his writings are specially suited to form the material for a study of slang and cant.
Concerning a subject so changeable as cant and slang, it is evidently of importance to know the acceptation of every expression at every period of the development of the language. As a matter of course, therefore, I have tried to discover, in the language of our author, the exact shade of sense of the different slang and cant-expressions, especially in cases where it does not coincide with the common usage, or where it concerns rare expressions.
In order to contribute to the knowledge of the prevalence of the cant and slang-expressions, I have tried to indicate the social position, the sex, the degree of culture, etc., of the persons speaking; and, as far as possible, I have ascertained the history and etymology of my expressions, though, in this respect, my efforts have often been without success.
A rather difficult point has been the classification of the expressions. The question whether a term may be regarded as vulgar or slang, or merely colloquial, is, in many cases, very debateable, as the opinions even of qualified judges concerning this matter are often divergent. In such cases, I have endeavoured to find a medium, founding my statements on the authority of cultivated Englishmen.
A number of original cant and slang-expressions have, to a certain degree, penetrated into the colloquial speech of the cultivated, holding thus an intermediate position between cant or slang on one side, and colloquial language on the other: these terms have been treated as special groups vulgar > colloquial and slang > colloquial.
I take the opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the University-Lecturer, Mr. Charles Scott Fearenside, whose valuable assistance has been of great use to me throughout the course of my researches.
I also beg to express my gratitude to Mr. Sidney Charleston, University-Lecturer in Upsala, and to Mrs. Gertrude Fahlström, née Pickering.
Lund, October 6th, 1910.
Olof Bosson.