“SLANGUAGE”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 2 August 1924, Page 8

“SLANGUAGE”

ENCHJSH/ACTRESS ON AMERI- ' CAN ENGLISH To '.thoss hoi are ■ seeking io.estalplish,a'bci:t(|r' .. .between the • British" • and.-■•'American nations, Afiss Gertrud© Lawrenoe, ivho, 'during tho 'la#.’ ft.w : ;montlis has iiiada a conspicuous ‘hit on the Nejv ■ YprU -■ styge, offers: f)dnie ■ amusing - suggestions on t'lwsubject .-'of - < ‘•SJii'ngunge, "snys the Nejiyi .Yor-lPcorrespondentiofMho ■ i>a|jy AJail.. ißer -plight’ tlio - n qlltravcUoi:, . who,*. in, repjy 1 *■*>( i-vepbttorhij v.inquisition, confessed |tjiat f Ahnerioa, jAv;as t-h©* oidytcbtlritry. $ nlipse ? .language r ho could ■> not « uudtr- • stand. . ;•. ' •■.Vv’t ' j ‘'Latrsence ! v plaiiitivcly-- asked > Amaricang ‘^hvitliey! polite‘officebrAa Krdi’-Va h gift 1 Vsbirti’.Va

tramway "a rattler,” an overcoat ‘‘a benny,'' shoes “kicks,” a foot “a dog,” an umbrella “a. mush,” a face “a mug,” money “dough,” a pass to a theatre, “a ducat,” a 'horfcc “skate,” am eye “a lamp,” and a hath “a splash.” Sho inquires, “How can Amgfieans expect a girl brought up by-staid English parents, fairly familiar with tne English language, coining to a country where people arc supposed to speak the same tongue, to know, when she hears one man say to a bother, jßeat it or i’ll bean ydu,’ that what lie means is ‘Unless the gentleman goes about his business the speaker will strike him on the head with

possible dive results?” Miss Lawrence describes sonic ol' her personal experiences in going U> the United States. She says: “I went into the theatre a few afternoons ago to seo if there were any letters for me, a nd 1 overheard one of the stage workmen say to the stage doorman, ‘What’s the dirt?’ Such a question to a dear, kind, nice old man who lets ino in and out of the stage door worried me. . I asked him what was the possible meaning of the expression. Ho told me 'it was the synonym for scandal.” : Miss Lawrence advises English people .before going to the United States to take a post-graduate course in its “language.” V