SPECIMEN OF A NEW YANKEE DICTIONARY.

New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette, Volume I, Issue 54, 23 February 1842, Page 4

SPECIMEN OF A NEW YANKEE DICTIONARY.

fflf—An animal that old maids love, because it gives out tparks when it is rubbed, Treadmill— A retired place for the accommodation of tlose addicted to appropriation. . ~ , B<ron«r-A 'kind of inverted coal-hoad, in which ladies lieads are carried. Misery— The life of an unpaid printer. Nothing— 'l he conscience of a thorough politician. Umbrellas— Common property. Independence-A strong determination to place yourselt where you are not wanted ■•"'■* Tempest— Something that comes to married people after the honey-moon. Jlfcrit—-That which receives no praise. Montu— A fish peculiarly dime-Jit to catch. The grave—An ugly nole in >he ground, which lovers and poets wish they were in, but take uncommon pains to keep out of, . , , . Modesty—A beautiful flower, that flourishes only m secret places. Sensibility-A quality by which its possessor, in attempt, ing to piomote the happiness of other people, looses his own. A young man of talent—An impertinent scoundiel who Ihursts himself forward ; a wiiter of execiable poetry ; a person without modesty ; a noisy fellow ; a speech-matter. Lawyer— A learned gentleman who rescues your estate from your enemy—and keeps it himself. My dear— An expression used by man and wife at the commencement of a quarrel. Watchman—A man employed by the parwh to sleep in the open air. ~..••. Thin shoe—An article worn in winter by high-spirited young ladies, who would rather die than conceal the beauty of their feet. Troubles or Editors—The editor of the Brontford Courier gives the following lively account of the troubles to which newspaper men are subjected:—" Imagine a number of subscribers calling for their papers, and amusing the editor with such conversation as the /ollowing:—Vou have too many love stories in your paper, cries one.—Give us a little more solid matter, moral and instructive, cries another.—Agricultural extracts will best suit the taste of the district, says a third.—l wish you would give us some funny anecdotes, writes a young friend.—Can't you treat us to something piquant on the governor's policy"! says a politician.—Another balloon hoax, if you please, says a wag —You would best suit your serious readers by religious selections occasionally, says another.—Och! by the powers, won't you be after tellin°- us some of thim Irish stories, says an Emeialder.— Can't you touch up the Yankees a littlei inquires one.—You are too severe upon the Americans, ejaculates his neighbour.— You should borrow more from tr;e New York Albion, recommends a friend.—ln of any thing new to communicate, a subscriber writes: "You don't give us enough of the news of the day."—We should like to know something annul the fashions, exclaims a Udy of the beau monde.— Let us know how the money-maiket goes at home, says an old stockbroker.—lnsert in ycur.papt-r the Montreal and Toioiito prices of gran, observes a farmer; and of butier and chetse too, cries his better half; and where can we get the best plough-anl axes 1 demoud the sons.—You have too many adverlis me sis in your paper, says one; and not enough for«ign news; cries another.—And, as an auctioneer winds up his catalogue, ' various oiher things too numerous to mention.' A short time ago we received a double letter, unpaid, from a distance of 200 miles. We caret but Mile about the postage as we broke the seal of the envelope, feeling assured that it was a remittance; but imagine our disappointment, genile reader, on finding nothing but an illegible sctawl of some fifiy verses of poetry! We give the last verse as a sample of the w!iole:— And now this young man has gone away To morn his lot acrost the sea His liiends niver more agin to see Who he has left behind in Canada—. And subsequently another unpaid letter came, informing us of his having " sint you sum brregenal powetiy wich you will very much obleege me by putting in your valleable-nose-paper, ami plais to sind mee 6 copeys which i will pay you for when you comes up to this place." The Press.—At this epoch, by a singular, but not unnatural train of events, tire partisans of royally were the strongest supporters ol the liberty of the Pie>-s;while the Jacobin government did every thing in their power to stifle its voice. I his is the natuial course of things when parlies have changed places, and the Executive authority in the hands cf the popular leaders. Freedom or discussion is the natural resoutce of liberty, whether menaced Ly regal, republican or military violence ; it is the insurrection of thought against physical force. It may frequently mislead and blind the people, and tor years perpetua e the most lata! delusions, but still it is the popular star of freedom, and it alone can restore the lwht of truth to the generations it has tousled. The Press is not to be leared in any country where the bal. ance of power is propeil/maintained, and opposing parties divide the State, because their opposite inteiests and passions call torlh contradictory statements and arguments, which at length extricate truth from their colli-ion. The period of danger from its abuse commences when it is in great part turned to one side, either by despotic power, democratic violence, or purely-republican ins'itinion*. Fiance under Napoleon was an example of the first; Great Britain under the Reform fever in 1831 of the second ;'Ameica of the third. Wherever one power in the Slate is overbearing, whelher it be that of sovereign, or of the multitude, the Piess generally becomes the instrument of the most, debasing tyrannv."— t Alison's History of the French Revolution,vu\:iu. pages 362,3 Accident to Van Ambuegh.—This lion tamer, who had arrived in Windsor to peitorm during the Ascot race week with his collection of trained animals, met with a severe accident while exhibiting in the den with h:s lion and tiger on Moftlay morning. They two animals,'it appears, a short-time before the exhibition commenced, had an angiy sCufiie with each other, but all animo-ity had ceased. W hife Mr. Van Amburgh was lying cown by the side of the lion, - with his head close to its mouth, the animal's enormous tusk inflicted a wound upon his forehead, aoove iheeye, liom which the blood'ftawed pretty copiou-ly down his face. Mr. Van Amburgn immediately left ihe den, and die performances were temporarily suspended. The woujjd was instantly dressed, and Van Amburgh soon recovered, and drove nex; morning with his greys, six in hand, to the lace course. Tin enduing performances were, of course, more crowded than • «ver. Prudent Choice Shortly after the battle of Waterloo ■it was proposed to make some changes in the unifoim of the Li'e Guards, and George IV.ordeied one of the soldier's to be sent for, who was said to have slain six or seven French •others in single combat. He was asked a variety of questions, to each of wh ch he assented, until the King perceving that the soldier's biased by the .piesenceol joya ty.aud bis own officers, said to him, "Well, if you were going te have such anoiher day's work as at Waterloo how would you like to be dressed! " Please your Majesty," he replied, "in that easel would rather be in »y shirt *l«e»es."— Sporting R«vw».