OCR Text |
Show Slang. Slang words which belong to the two last-named classes arc in thc attitude of postulants seeking arimlnslon to the language. lan-guage. Many words, such as "mob," "diction," Ignore," "alert," vhich when they first began to bo used, were regarded regard-ed as slang words, or at least as novelties, havo bocn admitted to full membership in thc order of words. Nono of us would now call "fabulous," In the sense of "Incredible," "Incred-ible," a modern Blang phrase, but Do Qulnoy so stigmatized it. Colerldgo violently vio-lently denounces "talented;" and at tho bcglnlng of tho nineteenth century Lady Holland declared "Influontlal" to ba a detestable de-testable word. Many slang words ore atlll awaiting recognition and admission. Multitudes Mul-titudes of thorn havo died, though for a whllo they had a vigorous life. No ono can tell whothor any given slang word will survive for there Is no test but that of time for these words. If tho word supplier sup-plier a lack, it is very likely to recelvo tho approval of the usjrs of tho language and thereby become good English. Though languago ls always economical and refuses re-fuses to load Itself down with affectations or with unnecessary words, It Is always willing to admit to citizenship any new word If such a word represents a need and fills a want. Thoroforc, wo should not bo concerned lest the vast multitude of slang words current now corrupt our mother tongue- Such words as arc vulgarisms vul-garisms will die of their own weakness; but such words as answer tho demands of utility will be retained. "Dude" and "crank" arc valuablo words, and are serviceable ser-viceable bocauao each denotes something not signified by any othor English word. Tho "dude" of 1002 Is so dlfTcront from tho "dondv" of 1840 and the word Is so expressive expres-sive of ono napect of the genius of our ago that It ought to be saved, but probably It will "hu'c to go." "Crank," a metaphor from "cranky." an unstable craft, will form a valuable acquisition and Havo many a tcdloua circumlocution. "Combine." "Com-bine." though still showing traces of tho bar sinister of slang on its escutcheon, 1b perhaps a usoful word becauao It has connotations con-notations which tho moro dignified "combination" "com-bination" does not possess. Tho verb "enthuse," "en-thuse," no matter now much wo may de-Bplso de-Bplso It becauso of its unplcanlng sound or its long association with slang phrases, also ueeinH likely to survivo becauso it expresses more concisely than In any other wav nn idea which has como to play an Important part in our modern 1 fo. Maurice Garland Fulton in tho Pilgrim. |