“SLANGUAGE.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 661, 14 January 1933, Page 19 (Supplement)

“SLANGUAGE.”

Some Phrases Modern; Others are Old. AN ASTONISHING LIST. Slang has a fatal attraction for the mediocre; it is generally expletive, and “so much more expressive ” than the King’s English. The ordinary mortal has a singularly limited vocabulary—some of us get along with a paltry few hundred words, whereas Shakespeare had something like 10,000. It is probably this poverty that makes so many people welcome the latest slang term. Novelty is also a reason for some cf the popularity of slang, but it is a fact that some of our slang is quite £.s dog-eared as some of our most homely phrases. Some of the current slang is obviously affectation; some people pride themselves on their slang as others do on their fashionable raiment, or their erudition. When one comes to make a list of the slang that one uses, or meets in every-day affairs, one is amazed at the astonishing manner in which it permeates life. If all slang were tabooed, some people would be very nearly dumb. Some day when you have nothing on hand, it would be worth while, and surprisingly instructive, to make a list of all the slang words you know. Here are the results of such an attempt. Disapproval. J£ you want to indicate to a person that in your opinion he is a poor sort of individual, you may call him a boob, mug, poor fish, flat, quince, coot, galloot, or a mutt. The application is obvious in many instances, but some of them would puzzle the most expert philologist. Experts are even at variance about such a common word as “ pommie,” which is the up-to-date variant of “ new chum.” The most plausible explanation is that it comes from rhyming slang, and is some bright Australian’s synonym of “ pomegranate ” for immigrant. Supposing you wish to express ap proval of anything, there is no need to say so in plain language. You may say “ 0.K., baby,” “ right oh! ” “ she’s jake,” “ she’s apples,” “ it’s sweet,” “ all-seerenio,” “ she’s set ” —and there are a few score other variants. To a cheeky person you may suggest that he “ gets fresh,” “ throws a chest,” “ throws his weight round,” even down to the familiar “ putting on dog.” In the Home. To call one’s parents simply father or mother is dreadfully old-fashioned. Mum and dad, governor, pater, mater, the banker, the treasurer (these lattei two being reserved for the breadwinner), are some of the changes the bright child can ring, and some children have adopted the charming postY r ictorian habit of addressing their parents by their Christian names. Should you wish to suggest that you approve of a thing or a proposition, you describe it as “ hangingshin good,” “ bosker,” “ bonzer,” “ a boomer,” “ tophole,” “ rippin’,” “ gorgeous,” “ frightfully good,” “ dinkum,” as being a “ true bill,” a “ corker,” “ stunning,” “ humdinger,” a “ hummer,” “ swell,” “ goody,” “ it’s the goods,” “ nifty,” “ cracker-jack,” and no doubt you can think of half a hundred other ways of putting the case, such as “ sure,” “ honest,” “ honest Injun,” “ sure-ly,” “ not ’arf,” “ I should smile.” Friends and Food. Your pal, friend, or boon companion may be described as “ kid,” “ young-fella-me-lad,” “ old sport,” “ old bean,” “ old top,” “ old cheese,” “ old fruit,” or, if you wish to give it a foreign tang, “ hombre.” When you invite a friend to eat with you there is a choice of asking him to “ have a snack,” “ have a bite,” “ have a chop,” “ have a spot of lunch,” “ put the nosebags on,” and the viands may be described as “ scran,” “ crib,” “ a binder,” “ a taste,” or “ a spot.” If any should indulge his thirst too freely there is a fine wealth of epithets —“ inked,” “ sossled,” “ corned,” “ corked,” “ gone a million,” “ under the weather,” “ half seas over,” “ potty,” “boozed,” “blotto,” “ shicker ” (which happens to be good Yiddish), “tight,” “ shot,” “ lit,” “ cut,” “ blithery,” “ full of hops,” “ stonkered,” “ stunned,” or r “ wonky.” New Zealand Contributions. One does not always speak of money; one may refer to “hoot” (one of the few NeAv* Zealand additions to t “ slanguage ”), “ spondulix,” “ oof,” “ brass,” “ tin,” “ half a dollar,” “ a 1 cart wheel,” “ tizzy,” “ denar,” ■ “ thrum,” “ tray bit,” “ sprat,” : “ brown,” “ half a thick ’un,” “ wad,” . “ roll,” “ chips,” and so on. Two other New Zealanders that have crept into slang are “ kuri ” and “ taihoa,” but it must be admitted that most of the expressions with which we adorn our everyday conversation are : borrowed. In referring to women, mankind has let his fancy have free rein; the fair sex may be indicated by “tart,” “skirt,” “sheila,” “bit of fluff,” “bit of muslin,” “ flapper,” “ bride,” “ fair}',” “ donah,” “ Jane,” “ titter,” “ tabby ” and. “ sweetie.” For the Annoyed. Colonial descriptive language for the state of a person who loses his temper is singularly full; you may tell him that he “ went off the handle,” “ went off the deep end,” “ got shirty,” “ went crook,” “ chewed the rag,” “ went to market,” “ got his hair off,” “ got off his bike,” “ did his block,” “ got the needle ”; in fact there is no need to stop at the simple assertion that he got annoyed. A man who met with an accident “ came a cropper,” “ came a tumble,” “ threw a fit,” “ turned a seven,” and performed many other acrobatic feats. If you wish to tell a person to continue you tell him to “ carry on ” or to “ box on.” The contrary is indicated by telling him to “ knock off,” “ dicken,” “ turn it off,” “ buzz off,” “ hop it,” or merely “ get.” Adieux. Just a few more examples taken at random. For a greeting one may say “ cheerio,” “ what ho ! ” “ beery oh ! ” “ see you some more,” “ hooray,” “ see you later,” “ olive oil,” “ o reservoir,” “ so long,” “ nighty-night,” “ chin-chin,” “ be good,” “ tooraloo,” “ toodledoo.” For doubt or confirmation one may use “ sez you?” “I don’t think,” “too right,” “ my oath,” “ too true,” “ absoballylutely,” “oh yeah,” “ search me,” “not guilty,” “ not on your life,” “eh?” But the choice of words and phrases that enable the modern conversationalist to get away from the trite talk of his ancestors is infinite, and if all the slang were collected into one volume it would fill a bigger book than the one with which Dr Johnson astonished the literary world.