Slang Words and Phrases

1895

The Origin of "Outsider," "You're a Daisy" and "Too Thin."

"Dun" is a word whose meaning is now known to every one who understands the English language. About the beginning of the century a constable in England named John Dun became celebrated as a first class collector of bad accounts. When others would fail to collect a bad debt, Dun would be sure to get it out of the debtor. It soon passed into a current phrase that when a person owed money and did not pay when asked he would have to be "dunned." Hence it soon became common in such cases to say, "You will have to dun So-and-so if you wish to collect your money."

Until the nomination of Franklin Pierce for the presidency the word "outsider" was unknown. The committee on credentials came to make its report and could not get into the hall because of the crowd of people who were not members of the convention. The chairman of the convention asked if the committee was ready to report, and the chairman of the committee answered, "Yes, Mr. Chairman, but the committee is unable to get inside on account of the crowd and pressure of the outsiders." The newspaper reporters took up the word and used it.

"You are a daisy" is used by Dickens in "David Copperfield" in the sense of calling a person a daisy in the way to express admiration and at the same time to laugh at one's credulity. Steerforth says to young Copperfield: "David, my daisy, you are so innocent of the world. Let me call you my daisy, as it is so refreshing to find one in these corrupt days so innocent and unsophisticated. My dear Copperfield, the daisies of the field are not fresher than you."

"Too thin" was given currency by Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia in the United States congress in 1870. Seine members had made a reply to Mr. Stephens, and the latter had his chair wheeled out in the aisle and said in that shrill, piping voice which always commanded silence: "Mr. Speaker, the gentleman's arguments are gratuitous assertions made up of whole cloth, and cloth, sir, so gauzy and thin that it will not hold water. It is entirely too thin, sir." — Boston Post.

Wise Compromise in Slang

1914

"Good slang is permissible among school children," according to Dr. G. Stanley Hall. Precisely the same thing is true of college boys, of college girls and of the rest of us.

Slang is inevitable. To thunder against it, to ignore it, to burlesque it is equally idle. Since we cannot end it — and really, we should not and would not if we could — the part of wisdom is endeavor to mend it. Let educators direct their satire and condemnation against vulgar, vicious, idiotic slang — of which there is abundance — and they will accomplish something. The slang that is racy, spontaneous, humorous, expressive deserves kindly toleration if not encouragement. Some of it establishes itself and becomes classical English.

As to the question what good slang is, it is manifestly foolish. There is no fixed test, but persons of taste and cultivation have no difficulty in differentiating between legitimate slang and grotesque, silly and offensive slang.

Comment: So, slang is manifestly foolish, yet it deserves kindly toleration if not encouragement, because some of it will establish itself and become classical English (like that's any kind of goal.) "We would not [end it] if we could." Somehow I don't believe you, anonymous writer of long ago.

English Slang A Riddle

1914

Language of Cricket Game as Confusing as American Report of Baseball Game

Why so much slang should accompany the report of a baseball game is a mystery of America that no Englishman has ever solved. Really, you know, it's quite absurd; and a jolly bit confusing, old chap.

Of course, baseball slang is confusing to the stranger to the game, but an Englishman should never criticize our baseball slang, as Arnold Bennett, W. L. George and many others have done. Cricket slang is just as confusing, just as foolish to stranger ears — and, no doubt, just as essential to the game.

In describing the recent Eton and Harrow match at Lord's, a big event in the cricket season, the London Sphere uses a few phrases that sound like an American sporting page:

"The bat must have come forward crooked and it is not surprising to see the leg stump turning cartwheels.

"The best ball sent down in the match. It started well outside the off stump, swerved inward late in its flight, and fairly fizzled off the pitch in its new direction.

"Amory got most of his runs by beating the ball to the boundary in front of square leg, and he was not a bit particular about the line on which the ball was pitched. Several went from outside off stump, but this one pitched on his pads. Oates, behind the wicket, jumped to the leg side to save the possible bye. Eventually Amory tried one cow shot too many and the middle stump went for a walk."

Shakespeare and Slang — "Fie! Beat it hence!"

1916

Later Day Phrases That Were Used by the Immortal Bard.

"Good night," a terse ejaculation that has taken ranking position among the slang of the day, had its source in no less authority than Will Shakespeare. It took a Hamilton college student to discover that the magic words were frequently used in Shakespeare's plays and with as much variety of meaning as we have been giving to them.

"The idea that 'good night' has the mark of modernity," declares this student, "is a sad mistake. In act 1, scene 3, of the first part of 'King Henry IV,' Worcester says he will disclose a matter of Hotspur which is as full of peril 'as to o'erwalk a current roaring loud on the unsteadfast footing of a spear.' To which Hotspur replies, 'If he fall in, good night.' "

Many other bits of modern vernacular are from Shakespeare, the student says, among them "Go to it!" "You cheese!" "I am for you," "Dead drunk" and plenty of others.

And regarding that once very favorite phrase "Beat it" the student says this: "Every one from a former president to a newsboy has made use of these two words. Yet in act 2, scene 1, of 'The Comedy of Errors' Luciana exclaims: 'Fie! Beat it hence!' " — Hartford Courant.