Decline of Profanity.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12480, 17 September 1904, Page 3 (Supplement)

Decline of Profanity.

Many persons bewail the prevalence of slang in the spoken languago of tho period savs an American paper).-, Has.it never occurred to them that in the vast majority -if instances slaug is relatively (juito harmless that it is seldom profane, nnd that what common speech has flittered from i interjections of elang ,-uid cant phrase:; has been more than counteracted by tho disuse of hard old Anglo-Saxon swear words* Thus the languago is really the gainer, and usage is making much of the slang good Kiiglish. Take any good dictionary lately from the press, and it will lie found to contain literally hundreds of words that were considered slang and not to be tpoken;n polite conversation a dozen or twentyfive or fifty years ago. Likewise take any standard novel of three, four, or fivo generations ago, which reflects tho customs and people of its period, nnd it will be found that sonic of the leading characters were given to politely damning various partsi>f themselves and about everything e'jc on tlie slightest provocation, in any company whatsoever. In the days of Sheti dan' it was considered good foim for the gallant gentleman to consign trnivo'f to perdition, piecemeal or as a wh"'e. while paying a tribute to (he chainis of the ladies with whom he was conversing. The rotund and bcnevo'e-.i! Mr Pickwick himself was not averse to using a judicious oath while n the most charming society. Thicker,iy, in person and in his nove's. let drop swc.ir words occasionally that would no! now bo tolerate! in a man's parlour. There was a famous urn® b-illianl hr.vvor of Charleston. who lr nr-ishe-1 r."t I'-t'ir before the outb-e-ik. or I '>r civil war. who Myorc plausibly,. ,Nt isticallv and easily in polite 'nripnvv. and lo'd risque stories in the s '<"< circles-, and lie was accounted -!{r i lie • "'st doiightful company to be found wi —in tbo broad expanse of the country. In the "good old days" of long atro it was regarded ns a gentleman's privilege to sweii-, and if his oaths were ii'ccly chosen no offence was profanity is obsolete, but it is pretty licsily so in polite society. It is principally indulged in by uncultured person*, or by the tipsy. Occasionally the gentleman may let slip an oath, under provocation, but in such instances he is careful to note thai there is no woman within earshot. The "d " nt the dinner table or in the drawing room is unkWnvn in these modern and better days. Men liave a liigher and finer respect for woman, for themselves, and for the language than ill former times. null News.