FOREIGN FLOWERS OF SPEECH.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XII, Issue XIII, 31 March 1894, Page 305

FOREIGN FLOWERS OF SPEECH.

The little Latin, less Greek, and rather more French of the typical lady novelist have frequently whetted the derisive appetite of the reviewer. But when a test is applied to the columns of a solemn daily paper with a view to discovering the little classical embellishments used by its sober sages, is it to be supposed that the labour of the searcher will be in vain 1 At the close of 1891 a correspondent waded through the leading article of the Times for that year, and extracted the italicised foreign expressions; the file for 1892 was similarly scanned ; now the 1893 numbers have been subjected to scrutiny. The results for 1891 and 1892 duly appeared in detail in these columns ; our correspondent now furnishes the 1893 particulars. First let the reader’s attention be directed to the following table of comparison : — Total number of differ- Total number of Tinies issues ent foreign expres- wherenoforeignexpressions Year sions used appeared in ‘ leaders' 1891 319 66 1892 229 105 1893 186 130 At a glance it will be inferred that the restraining influence, commented upon, in dealing with the 1892 statistics, must surely have been continued last year, and it may be at once deduced that if this ratio of abstinence is sustained, this annual article will in time be unnecessary. Analysing the 1893 examples, it is found that modus vive.ndi has at last been allowed a weir earned repose. This war-horse came out twenty-nine times in 1891 and nineteen in 1892, but only once in 1893. More easy treatment has also been shown to prima facie, used six times only, whereas the two previous years’ records are respectively eleven and fifteen. The Times still persists in italicising maximum and minimum ; these appeared each twenty and twenty-five times. The Parish Councils Bill has already much at its door, without teing responsible tor most of the sixteen appeaiances of ex officio Non possumus (nine times) also established itself in favour ; and some rash spirit having discovered that ex post facto had not been seen out for over two years, promptly used it seven times. Regime, too, rendered good service as in former yeais, but the decline of that soothing word rapprochement from sixteen appearances in 1891 to twelve in 1892, and again to two in 1893, is very ominous. Status quo has also a downward tendency ; while volte-face, applied to the vagaries of a well-known statesman, shows an increase in appreciation. In 1892 quasi was the rage ; last year it mercifully lay at rest; and other absent friends include those tried servants carte-blanche, locus standi, mutatis mutandis, par excellence, and raison d'etre. Here, perhaps, it would be well to give a complete list of those expressions which have made one or more appearances during each of the last three years. The figures appended relate to the appearances in 1893, 1892, and 1891, in this order :—

Coming now to those forms of speech which made their bow in 1893 for the first time, it is seen that a few were used on more than one occasion : — Dreikaiserbund 21 Hinterland 2 ex post facto .. .. 71 morins operand! .. ..2 fons et origo 3 pins 4 grand krancais 2 I status quo ante 2 Reviewing the subject generally, distinct progress in reformation may be reported, although it is somewhat regrettable to find our contemporary, after avoiding for two years such terms as de mortuis nil nisi boniim. mater pulchra, filia pulehrior, in medias res, and suaviter in modo, making incontinent use of them. Still, as the Times says, nil desperandum ; and soon we may hope to see its column) quite expurgated of the foreign element, and literally, sans phrase.

amour propre arriere-pensee 1 1 1 2 1 minimum modus vivendi 25 1 14 19 12 29 bond fide 4 5 8 naivete .. 3 3 1 bona fides 3 3 1 nuances 2 1 1 coup d'etat 5 1 8 non passu m us 9 2 1 de die in diem . 2 2 1 personnel 6 4 2 de facto . 3 7 4 pri ma facie .. 6 15 11 employes 4 3 10 pro tanto 5 4 2 en bloc 1 2 3 pro'cae .. 2 2 3 ex hypothesi .. 2 1 3 rapprochment 2 12 16 ex officio . 16 1 5 red uctio ad (tbsurdu m 2 3 1 ex parte . 1 5 1 ref erend um 2 1 8 fetes . 5 4 1 rcyime .. 11 12 10 habeas corpus . 3 8 5 role 4 2 4 impasse 1 2 1 status .. 5 6 9 in extenso 3 3 1 status (/n't 6 8 33 laissez-faire .. 1 1 1 ultima ratio .. 2 1 2 maximum . 20 14 13 ultra vires 1 1 1