CHAPTER XI SLANG（第1页）

CHAPTERXISLANG

in—Amerig—FnSlang

Slangismoreorlessoninnearlyallranksofsodineverywalkoflifeatthepresentday。Slangressiointuage，andsoinsiduously，thattheyhaveedbythegreatmajorityofspeakers，andsohavebeepartaheirvocabularyoingwiththelegitimatewordsofspeech。Theyarecalledupontodosimilarserviceastheordinarywordsusedineverydayversatihtsanddesiresandeaningfromoher。Infaecases，slanghasbeesousefulthatithasfaroutstrippedclassicspeedmadeforitselfsuchapositioninthevernacularthatitwouldbeveryhardiogetalongwithoutit。Slangedtheplaceularwordsoflanguageinverymanyinstandreigheirthandinfluence。

dslaehepopularmiheyarenotsynonymous，thoughverycloselyallied，andprogfromaonGypsyin。tisthelanguageofaclass—thepeculiarphraseologyordialectofacraft，tradeorprofession，andisnotreadilyuoodsavebytheinitiatedofsuchcraft，tradeorprofession。Itmaybecorrect，agtrammar，butitisisedtopartsandlocalitiesandisonlyintelligibletothoseforwhomitisintended。Inshort，itisaeriguagewhilytheinitiatedderstand。Thejargon，orpatter，ofthievesisditisooodbythieveswhohavebeessigheinitiatedlanguageofprofessionalgamblersisdisonlyintelligibletogamblers。

Oherhand，slang，asitisnowadays，belongstonoparticularclassbutisscatteredalletseoeverykindofsodisuoodbyallwhereitpasseseverydayexpression。Ofcourse，theheslang，toagreatextent，dependsupoy，asitchieflyisedwithsorhrasesontoaparticularse。ForiheslangofLondonisslightlydifferentfromthatofNewYork，andsomewordsiymaybeunintelligibleihoughwelluoodinthatinwhichtheyareevertheless，slaobeuniversallyuood。"Tokickthebucket，""tocrosstheJordan，""tohopthetwig"arejustasexpressiveofthedepartingfromlifeinthebaericaorthewildsofAustraliaastheyareinLondonorDublin。

Slangsimplysistsofhraseswhichpasstbutarenotrefienough，tobeadmittedintopolitespeechorliteraturewheheyarereizedassuch。But，ashasbeensaid，agreatmanyuseslangwithitasslangandiotheireverydayspeeversation。

&horspurposelyuseslangtogiveemphasisandspifamiliarandhum，buttheyshouldedbythetyro。Amaster，suchasDis，isfivable，butintheisunpardonable。

Thereareseveralkindsofslaodifferentprofessionsandclassesofsociety。Forihereiscollegeslang，politig，spslaisthenatureofslangtocirculatefreelyamongallclasses，yetthereareseveralkindsofthisoflanguagedingtotheseveralclassesofsociety。Thetwogreatdivisionsofslahevulgaroftheuedandihehigh-tonedslangoftheso-calledupperclasses—theedudthewealthy。Thehoydeerdoeshesameslangasmyladyinherboudoir，butbothuseit，andsoexpressiveisitthattheoreadilyuhehtintact。Therefore，therearewhatmaybestyledanignaedslaothepurlieusandthealleys，theothertotheparlorandthedrawing-room。

Iheobjegistoexpressanideainamorous，piquantahanstandardusageordinarilyadmits。Aschoolgirl，wheopraiseababy，exclaims:"Oh，isn'theawfullycute!"Tosaythatheisverynicewouldbetooressheradmiration。Whenahandsomegirlappearsohusiastieadmirer，toexpresshisappreofherbeauty，tellsyou:"Sheisapeach，abird，acuckoo，"anyofwhituateshisestimationoftheyoungladyandismuphatisaying:"Sheisabeautifulgirl，""ahandsomemaiden，"or"lovelyyoungwoman。"

&idefeatshisrivalhewilltellyou"itwasach，"hehada"walk-over，"toimpressyouhoweasyitwastogaiory。

Someslangexpressioheaphhlyfigurative。Suchare"topassi;"toholdup，""topullthewooloveryoureyes，""thyourhat，""tofireout，""togoba，""tomakeyourselfsolidwith，""tohaveajagon，""tobeloaded，""tofreezeonto，""tobarkupthewro;"don'tmohebuzz-saw，"and"inthesoup。"Mostslanghadabadiihetofthieves'Latin，butitbrokeawayfromthisalefaeandgraduallyevolveditselffromitsunsavorypastuntilitdevelopedintoaofexpressivespeeeslaraceitsinbacktoveryrespectablesources。

"Stolenfruitsaresweet"maybetracedtotheBiblei。Proverbs，ix:17hasit:"Stolenwatersaresweet。"&quivi;supposedtobeathhAmeriism，isbaseduponGenesis，xxxviii:16。Theonslang，"abadman，&qutoWesterndesperadoes，inalmosttheidentisenowused，isfoundinSpenser'sFaerieQueen，Massinger'splay"AoPayOldDebts，"andinShakespeare's"KingHenryVIII。"Theexpression"toblowon，"meaningtoinform，isinShakespeare's"AsYouLikeit。""It'sallGreektome"istraceabletotheplayof"JuliusCaesar。""Allowool"isinButler's"Hudibras。""Piousfrauds，"meaninghypocrites，isfromthesamesource。"Toothin，&qutoanexcuse，isfromSmollett's&quri;Shakespearealsousedit。

Americahashadalargeshareintributingt。"Theheathe;and"Waysthataredark，andtricksthatarevain，"arefromBretHarte'sTruthfulJames。"NotforJoe，"artheCivilWarwhenonesoldierrefusedtogiveadrinktoa;NotifIk;haditsininChicago。"What'sthematterwith——?He'sallright，"haditsbeginninginChicagoalsoandfirstwas"What'sthematterwithHannah。&qutoalazydomestit。"There'smillionsinit，"and"Byalargemajority"arkTwain'sGildedAge。"Pulldow;"jim-jams，""got'embad，""that'swhat'sthematter，""gohireahall，""takeinyn，""dryup，""humpyourself，""it'sthemanaroundtheer，""puttingupajob，""putaheadonhim，""nobacktalk，""bottomdollar，""wentoffo;"chalkitdown，""stavinghimoff，""makingitwarm，"&quhimgently，""deadgo;"busted，""per，""putuporshutup，""bangup，""smartAleck，""toomuchjaw，""-music，""topheavy，""barefootedohehead，""alittletoofresh，""liar，""chiefdbottlewasher，""baga;"asfineassilk，""nameyourpoison，""diedwithhisbootson，""oldhoss，""hu;"holdyourhorses，""galoot"andmanyothersipresentareallAmerislang。

iaespeciallyhasbeehisclassoffigurativelahisStateweowe"gooffa;"don'tyetit，"&quhdeal，""squaredeal，""flushtimes，""poolyourissues，""goburyyourself，""godrow;"giveyueava，""abadegg，""goclimbatree，""plughats，""DollyVardens，""wellfixed，""downtobedrock，""hardpan，""paydirt，""peteredout，""itwon'twash，""slugofwhiskey，""itpa;and"Ishouldsmile。""Smallpotatoes，ahehill，""softsnap，""allfired，""goldurnit，""anup-hilljob，""slick，""shortcut，""guessnot，"&qu"areBostoerms"i;"aowledgethe，""barkupthewro;"greats;"Ire，""playing'possum，""deadshot，"hadtheiriher;Doggo;"thatbeatstheDutch，""youbet，""youbetyourboots，&qufromNewYork。"Stepdownandout&quiheBeechertrial，justas"brainstorm&quiheTha

AmongtheslahaveedireEnglaiohrowupthespo;"drawitmild，""giveusarest，""deadbeat，""o;"upthespout，""stunning，""giftofthegab，"etc。

Theneonsiblefepartoftheslaers，staffwriters，aors，puthrasesihsofindividualswhieverutter。NewYorkissupposedtobetheheadquartersofslang，particularlythatportionofitknownastheBowery。Alltransgressionsandsoflanguagearesuppiunclassi，whilethetruthisthatthelawsofpoliteEnglishareasmuchviolatedonFifthAvenue。Ofcourse，thefmi;pidgin"EnglishhavegiventheBoweryanuion，buttherearejustasgoodspeakersofthevernatheBoweryaselsewhereiy。YeteveryinexperieneorterthinksthatitisionhimtoholdtheBoweryuptorididlaughter，sohesitsdown，andoutofhiscircumscribedbrain，mutilatestheEnglishtongue（herarelyaword），ailationontheBowery。

'Tisthesamewithneersandauthors，ttheIrishradwomenwhohavehegreenhillsofIreland，paintIrishcharactersasboorsandblunderersahemsayludigsandusesuguageasishinthefourwallsofIreland。'Tisverywellknowhemostlearryoheearth—is，ahesasterhasbeenabroadthereforhundreds，almostthousands，ofyears，andheworldto-dayistheking'sEnglishspokensopurelyasiiesandtowleWesternIsle。

&s，happeningsofeverydaylife，ofteoslangwords，aeratime，eintosueralusethattheytaketheirplaeverydayspeechlikeordinarywordsand，ashasbeensaid，theirusersfetthatthey。ForihedaysoftheLandLeagueinIrelandihewordboycott，whichwasthenameofaveryunpopularlandlord，Boycott。Thepeoplerefusedtoworkforhim，andhiscropsrottedontheground。Fromthistimeanyonewhotodisfavorandwhomhisneighborsrefusedtoassistinanywaywassaidtobeboycotted。Thereforetoboyeanstopunishbyabandoningapersoahers。Atfirstitwasanotoriouslyslangword，butnowitisstandardintheEnglishdiaries。

Politicsaddthrases。Fromthisset"darkhorse，""thegraymareisthebetterhorse，""barrelofmo;"bu;"gerryma;"scalawag，""hen，"&qu，""pullingthewires，""takiump，""mae，""slate，"etc。

Themofurh"er，""bull，""bear，""lamb，""slump，"ahers。

&omofthetimesasoftexpressioofustouseslanghrasesonos。Oftekn，justasachildoftenusesprofanewordswithoutessso。Weshouldavoidtheuseofslangasmuchaspossible，eveservestoveyourideasinaforer。Ahasnotgainedafirmfootholdispeechitshouldbeusednotatall。Rememberthatmostallslangisinandbearsupohebendsinisterofvulgarity。Oftheslangthatisofgoodbirth，passitbyifyou，foritislikeabrokeleman，oflittlegoodtoaethegreatmastersasmuchasyouwillinclassicalliterature，butwheheirslang，drawtheli，thegreatIrishsatirist，edtheword"phiz"forfaitatehim。Ifyouarespeakingofthebeautyofalady'sfa'tcallither"phiz。"TheDean，asaualgiant，hadalisetodoso—youhaven't。Shakespeareusedtheword"flush"toiyofmoremembertherewasonlyoneShakespeare，aheohadarighttousethatwordinthatsense。You'llneverbeaShakespeare，therewillneverbesuother—edherselfinprodughim。

&heword"stretch&qu，astostrete'tfolloleiheword。Aboveall，avoidthelarslang，whichismadetopassforwitamongtheriff-raffofthestreet。Ifyouarespeakingofapersonhavinightdon'tsayorwrite:"Hehoppedthetwig，"or"hekickedthebucket。"Ifyouarepelledtolistentoapersoofwhiowslittle，don'tsay"Heistalkingthroughhishat。"IfyofhavingshakenhandswithMr。Rooseveltdon'tsay"Hetippedmehisflipper。"Ifyouarespeakihymandon'tsay"Hehasplentyofspondulix，"or"thelo;Allsugislow，dvulgarandistobefrownedupononanyandeveryo。

Ifyouuseslaherefinedkilikeageitwillniveoffeoanyone。ewmalemanashewhospailemaniny—pain。