1937-03-24 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH-24, 1937.

The

One Thing language all America is speaking to day and the rest of the world to-morrow?

or

Another

The theory has been advanced that the men who took the sword of Wallace from the National Wal- lace Monument are keeping it "as a thing to swear on until Scotland is free."

*

*

舾

Henry Harris Learns To Talk-

SLANGUAGE!

"Smosamonyethlessenogrease,"

A pretty girl is a nice piece of A sweetheart is one's latest in-

somnia, sighmaker, heart-thump.

Snapped the lean, dyspeptic-look- homework" whereas the wife is the I know a motorist who is keep-

aing New Yorker over the drug-store "headache.”. ing in his private collection Belisha Beacon and two policeinen's counter. A drugstore if you must

Anything mechanical or electrical know is where they dispense sandphone or car that won't work is helmets to swear. AT.

wiches

"on the fritz.or."it won't perk." I was to learn before leaving To "boon-doggle" is to fuss about Broadway that what he wanted was and make unnecessary work. It is a smoked salmon sandwich on ye used by whichever political party is bread with lettuce, but without but not in power to mean money-spend- ter or mayonnaise dressing.

ing on unnecessary enterprises in English is a useful language to order to make jobs for someone. To know on Broadway, but for real

“'phone-doggle" is to philander or comfort it is not enough.

otherwise waste time on the 'phone.

* *

CONTORTIONIST

A football report states: "The centre-forward made a.. dashing run, with the ball at his toes, but when well inside the penalty area he lost his head and shot it over the bar.".

*

"I guess I've got the beebie- No doubt, seizing the ball be-jeebies, the jitters, the yips and tween his teeth, and dropping it the fantods" My slangster friend behind the goalkeeper and into the feels a bit low. net.

PUZLE

Tm a little irritable myself, got ants in the pants, bees in the sox" So we stroll together down the Hardened Artery, the Main Drag, the Main Stem, the Great White, A woman who served as May-Way, Mazda Lane, the Gulch, the oress of a borough during her hus Grandest Canyon-in short, Broad band's year of office, as Mayor has way. Centre of New York's night

life. now been appointed Mayor herself. Does the husband now become Mayoress?

FIERCE

*

To divorce or contemplate divorce is to be Reno-vated, to be zig-zaggy, on the Verge, tugging at the leash, about to reach That Verdict, about to have it unwound, unravelled, cur- died, melted. A divorce case is a

melting complaint

People who have separated have "phfffft" (pronunciation ?--don't ask me!)

*

To expect an addition to the fami- ly is to infanticipate an heïrrival, a blessed he vent or she vent. To "What's she got that I ain't got?” be storked, to expect another im- Expression commonly used by vir- age, to be trio'd, about to become. tuous wives or faithful sweethearts three "The Joneses are bundle- apropos of beautiful actresses, gla- from-heavening, expect to increase morous stars, provocative "strip- the papa-lation." teasers" - Corresponding expression, not yet used by men.

Why as a psychologist am I in- Where does all this slanguage terested in slang? come from?

Because the slang of to-day con Much percolates from tramp and tains in it the language of to-mor- unterworld-slang via the newspaper row. columnists, the theatres, the floor- shows. Most of it is invented by talented journalists and writers.

Slangster No. 1 is Walter Win- chell.

What Winchell writes to-day

Broadway and Hollywood try to talk

to-morrow..

Typical Winchellisms

Language is a technical device for the manipulation of thoughts, and as such must be continuously experi- mented with and improved. Slang is that experimenting.

80-

Because words are weapons and every new word, created and cepted into the language, is a new -human a tool, against ignorance and misconcer

Because slang - is

weapon,

We look into a sinspot, nightspot, hotspot; nitery, or just spot (a late restaurant) to..see a floorshow. (cabaret). If the performers are coloured, it is a “sepia sinspot.”.../

Knowing my friend's tastes and needs—I suggest a “jolt" of gin, a Scotch highball (whisky and soda), or some other form of stagger-soup,

To get married is to "middle-aisle whoopee water, tonsil-paint, silly it, to be merged, welded, sealed, vital way of milk, or giggle-water. As I linger riveted, lohengrined...

off one's chest, To be in love is to be That Way than repressing, I should imagine the rain even- If we have escorts, we take the "hmmmmmm,” or “ohmygoodness”

about someone, to be "uh-huh," or than concealing

And fire a Inte tually got the wind up and signed floor for a twister." My friend the pledge.

"Wearing an orange-coloured blouse, brown shorts, green stock ings, and white shoes, a woman battled against the wind and rain in a walking race.” Daily -news-

paper.

MAN-HUNT

Two nurses, chased a clad young man through He ran into his fiancee's ing, "Please hide me

I didn't realise the problem surplus women was so serious

NICE PLACE, THIS

between drinks, he reminds me that "it does not age in the glass"

gulps mother Scotch highball He about each other, to be closer than timed swearing, is a little shy about his hoofing abili- half-past-six, to have the same tem- the mind's health. Finally, because ties, and has to be "half high" be. perature, to have lips that fit, to

So what? fore he can get up to twitch, totter wear each other's hands for gloves. and tittivate to the nifty sepia

swing combo (band),

The floor-show begins

my

friend is charm-struck the

chorine second left second row.

“My God, but she has McGoo (sex) appeal).""She's a lallapaloozer

("a fair beaut, we might say originally a beautiful sunset). The crooner ust too languid and in-

gratiating 20 he's bananas.””

We ask for the “bad news" (the

our way dreamily

to the "jungle

German journalist thinks that will) in has a gening for national

gania. Bo

to my hote

the (suburbs).

Lord Mayors' Shows, and “All spec- tacular events in British politics, he says, are just brought about to let other people know what a fine country. Britain ia..

With special reference, of course to the Jarrow and Welsh uner ployed marchers.

THIS MODERN MUSIC

Here is some more if you want to understand all you will hear in the movies,

To be gooeg especially in love is to be sloppy talk A sloppy "flavoured with

however,

you're cks grata

If you're whac probably with rage. in the doghouse no his are low, you're reated any more. To

is to let someone else pay the bill, to cadge

cigar

"Crouching like a cat ov orchestra, Dr. Kari Bohm great attention." Opers report.

1 don't wonder.

WRONG PAGE

first heard-

meet

doll w

noise

per

Gat

Haig

(SCOTCHEWHISK

JOHN HAIG& Coltd

MARKIICH

OTLAN

YOU CAN ALWAYS RECOGNISE flavour of Haig. For Haig is a wh mellow with the rare mellowness vague

ask for HAIG

Bay and

NO FINER WHISKY GOES INTO ANY BOTTLE.

Sole Agen

GANDE PRICE & CO. LTD.

George's Building House Street,

well- for

Hong Ko