Show I MODERN f MAKERS MAIERS 1 OF LIVE SLANG Ten Welters Get Credit for Enriching Language Wilfred J J. J Funk knows vs words He ought to because he publishes dIctionarIes dictionaries dictionaries dic dIc- and writes poetry poetry highly highly dissimilar occupations but both dealing In words So he may properly properly properly prop prop- erly qualify I as an expert on slang One feels that he be Is a bit too exclusive ex ex- ex- ex elusive e however in crowning only ten Americans as the tire fathers of modern slang or the argot of contemporary contemporary con con- temporary Americana If you yon must give your our slang a II highbrow v label This Is slid sale In no disparagement of at the magnificent audacity with which the ten he lie mentions have ha com com- committed mitter mayhem on Innocent English The ten Same ten SIme Silverman n H H. H TJ L L. L T T. T A. A Dorgan Walter Winchell WIn WIn- chelL Bugs Baer er Ring fling Lardner Damon Damon Damon Da Da- Da- Da mon Runyon Burgess George Ade and Gene Buck are Buck are lenders leaders no doubt in the creation of at the new now and startling Jargon But their task Is shared b. b by thousands of others others others oth oth- oth- oth ers mostly anonymous who dally are coining new language and putting putting putting put put- ting It into circulation The chances are arc that the tho most popular and enduring examples of slang should they be bo traced to their birth by a careful scholar could not be given a n definite paternity Like Topsy Tops they Just grew Not a u few of them grew on the sport pages of American newspapers Witness the verb to Merkle or to null huhl a Merkle 1 which arose from an unfortunate but spectacular Incident In a certain world series of 20 years ago ngo And AmI long before the modern Amer Amer- lean ican sport page bloomed to Its present present pres pres- ent flower of lingual license slang was being built bunt In the same samo manner mariner Artemus Ward Orpheus C. C Kerr and antI Petroleum V V. V Nasby were doing It half haH n a century or more ago And before before before be be- fore them were other generations of or slang founders Some of ot them attained attained at at- a bit of fame famo in their day Most of ot them are forgotten otten Jon Long ago ngo the wise began to recognize size nize that slang Is good English In Inthe Inthe inthe the making They poo poe tho the strictures of the purists and hair- hair splitters Much slang ex-slang Is now In Inthe Inthe inthe the dictionaries frequently without the label of ot patronizing colloquial Happily all aU slang does docs not make the grade of ot good or accepted Eng Eng- lish Frequently it Is not apt and falls of Its own weight Good slang and we wc maintain that the definition is valid should be direct Illuminating Illuminat illuminat- ing a detour to greater clarity along the sometimes tedious highways of language As such It merits a n per per- permanent permanent manent place in the language and It If It Is good enough It will attain It ft- ft Cleveland Plain Dealer |