297. “He is a cute man:” this is an inelegant abbreviation of acute, and employed to mean smart. It may, however, be properly applied to Yankees!
298. “He dickered with him an hour:” say, “he bargained.” This is a word somewhat peculiar to New-York.
299. “Do don’t” is a vulgar usage of the Southern States, especially Georgia, for “do not.”
300. “He is done gone:” say, ruined.
301. “We had a dreadful fine time:” say, very, or exceedingly.
302. “It rains, and I want an umbrella the worst kind:” say, “I am greatly in want,” &c. An umbrella of the worst kind would not be likely to answer the best of purposes on a rainy day!
303. “The whole concern fizzled out:” say, proved a failure.
304. “As soon as I mentioned it to him, he flared up:” say, he became excited, or grew violent.
305. “The choir sang Old Hundred:” pronounce Hundred as written, and not Hunderd.
306. “The message was sent by his aid-de-camp:” pronounce as if written ade-de-kawng, avoiding, however, as much as possible a twang on the last syllable.