A Book About Words

by G. F. Graham

The Universities also have their slang terms. The graduates use ‘crib’ for a house; ‘deadmen’ for empty wine-bottles; ‘governor,’ or ‘relieving-officer,’ for a father; ‘plucked,’ for defeated or rejected in an examination; and ‘row’ for a disturbance.

The Eton and Harrow boys make use among themselves of many slang terms, which are not often heard outside their bounds; but when they return home for the holidays, they frequently infect their sisters with some of their strange phraseology. A boy will sometimes puzzle his sisters at home, by asking them if they do not find his ‘toggery’ absolutely ‘stunning;’ or what they think of his ‘tile,’ or white ‘choker;’ adding that they are not yet paid for; but that he supposes the ‘governor’ will have to ‘stump up,’ or ‘fork out the blunt,’ &c.

Lawyers also have their slang; and this is not surprising, when we remember the many opportunities they must have of hearing it, from their connection with the police courts, and with life in its worst phases. With them, taking the benefit of the Insolvent Debtors Act, is to be ‘white-washed;’ and to draw up a fraudulent balance-sheet is to ‘cook’ accounts, &c.

But of all the forms of slang, the one most abundant in variety of terms is the mercantile. It has been calculated that there are as many as thirty-six vulgar synonyms for the one simple word money. The following are a few of them: ‘blunt,’ ‘tin,’ ‘coppers,’ ‘browns,’ ‘shiners,’ ‘yellow-boys,’ ‘flimsies’ (bank notes); ‘fivers’ (five pound notes), &c. &c. In city phraseology, 100,000l. is called a plum, and one million sterling is a marigold. On the Stock Exchange buyers and sellers for the account are called ‘bulls’ and ‘bears:’ a broker who is unable to pay his debts, is there called ‘a lame duck;’ and, if expelled from the house, he is said ‘to waddle.’

But though most of these terms will never form a legitimate part of the English language, some of them are certainly not considered so vulgar as others. It is said that the elegant Lord Chesterfield was the author of the word ‘humbug,’ which, though it may have been considered as slang in his day, can hardly be so called now. Another word, ‘hoax,’ was condemned by Swift as low and vulgar, this, too, has made its way; and is now not so revolting to good taste as it probably was when first used. Both these words, ‘humbug’ and ‘hoax,’ are to be found in Dr. Latham’s edition of Johnson’s Dictionary.

Thackeray immortalised ‘snob’ in his celebrated ‘papers;’ and though the word is not to be recommended, it must be allowed that it is very expressive. Lord Cairns, in a speech in the House of Commons, called ‘dodge’ ‘that homely but expressive term.’ Nor is ‘crusty,’ in the sense of ‘peevish,’ so low as it was once thought. It has long been a question, whether the word ‘bamboozle’ should be admitted. This also is to be found in Latham’s Johnson, though it is there entered as ‘colloquial.’

But though it may be allowed to use some of these terms occasionally in familiar discourse, no one of any sense or good taste will ever think of indulging in slang language, either spoken or written. It is, no doubt, a bad sign of the times, and much to be deplored, that it is so common. Some writers have calculated that there are, at least, three thousand slang terms in common use. The above are but a few examples of this widespread corruption. We may regard it, as concerns our language, in the light of a pest to society. It takes a long time to clear the atmosphere from the baneful influences of certain epidemics. Now, the language of every-day conversation is suffering from this infectious disease, and it becomes the duty of every Englishman who has a proper feeling for his language, to refrain from this evil himself, and to throw in its way every possible discouragement.

Americanisms.

The recklessness with which the Americans use the English language bids fair to flood it with many new and strange terms. It is very possible that some of these words may some day take their places as forming part of the legitimate materials of our language; and it is also possible, as the Americans themselves sometimes declare, that some of the words and phrases which are now called American, are, in reality, genuine English words which have become obsolete in the mother tongue. But, in the mean time, they certainly must be regarded as interlopers—candidates for an office to which they are not yet, if they ever will be, entitled.