The New English

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 105, 6 May 1933, Page 18

The New English

The aitonishing growth of the Eng-! lish language during the past thirty years anjd the numerous changes which it has undergone are revealed by the publication, in two volumes of the Shorter | Oxford English Dictionary. The dictionary has been designed primarily to igive in miniature all the features ot. the great Oxford English Dictionary, which was only recently completed. In the second place the new worik has been designed to include all words in regular literary and colloquial use—including words which came into use with the Great War, scientific changes and importations, chiefly American. In the first volume of the Oxford English which was published in 1888, "Airmanship," for example, was described as "skill in managing aiballoon." An aeroplane was a "plane placed in the air for aerosta: tical experiment." '' i "Broadcasting" (unheard of in 1888) is now "to disseminate (audible matter) from a wire transmitting station," and 1921 is quoted as the year of its origin. The Great War has led to many new ■words. "Blighty" (1915) is included in the dictionary, and "Whizzbang," ■which is described as a "shell of a small-calibre high velocity German gun (1915)." "Bolshevik" and "Fascist" are included for the first time. The former is '' a member of- the extremo wing of the Eussian Socialist Party (later, the Communist' Party) which seized supreme power in Eussia after the revolution of March, 1917; first applied to the party advocating the -maximum Social-

ist Programme in ,1903." A Fascist, on the other hand, is "one of a body of Italian Nationalists^ organised in 1919 under Benito Mussolini to oppose Bolshevism. Hence Fascism." Coming to American words, there is "Jazz" (American Negro), which is "a kind of music in syncopated 4-4 time, as played by negro bands in the United States; a danco to this music characterised by a rolling step and zigzag procession." "Wise" has been given a new and special meaning. "Wise (1919) —To wise up" (United. States slang), "get wise," "put wise." "Speakie" (or "Talkie") is attributed to the United States and dated 1928. " Speakeasy is the United States slang "for an illicit liquor shop." "Whoopee" (United States 1845 and pronounced "Hoopi" Avith a short "i") can now be taken officially as being "an exclamation, accompanying or inviting to hilarious enjoyment—to have a good time, go on the- razzledazzle." , The much-abused "Hike" is given its origin in 1809, and means '' to tramp (now especially for pleasure)." "Under-graduette" (1920) and "Nightclub" are included for the first time. "Shavian" (1920) appears as "latinised from proper name Shaw. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of, George Bernard Shaw (1856 —) or his plays or other writings." "Gangster" (in its new sense). "Dora," "Tote," "Floodlighting," "Wisecrack," "Non-stop," and "Gasper" have not yet achieved dictionary rank.